Final Fantasy Legacy of Sephiroth: RIZING
by The Advent91
Summary: In the land of Gaia the SOLDIER Hero Sephiroth encounters upon a survivor from a recent attack commited by a terrorist individual known as The Hydra, upon so he encounters a boy weilding a pair of curious eyes the boy calls Sharingan and decides to take him up as his apprentice. The boys name is Rike, watch as he becomes the Legacy of Sephiroth and the RIZE of a legend.
1. Prologue

**AN: Hello readers! I am new to the and this would be my first story that I am showing...kind of nervous, please be gentle...but I hope you find it to your satisfaction. If i have done anything wrong or something that needs correcting please tell me as i am trying to better myself at writing, I plan to become a real author of my own book one day. In this story you are not going to see any characters from the Naruto verse, sorry fans, but the main character will have abilities from that awsome ninja world like the main character being able to pull off the Shadow Clone jutsu or you may read parts that remind you of something you saw within the Naruto series. This story will be the start Thank you and enjoy readers and FanFiction writers! *Gives you a thumbs up and smiles***

**I do NOT own Naruto or Final Fantasy VII or any other series that i dont own..., but i do own the main character of the story for I was his creator!**

" " Talking

_" " Thought_

**_" " Flashback_**

* * *

A ten year old boy ran through the streets of the village seeing the burning buildings around him, the corpses of the small towns occupants laying here and there followed by hearing screams. The town was attacked without warning by an unknown man who wore a blue hood with scale like patterns sewn within, he knew because he saw him when he was leaving the village. That was only maybe about ten minutes ago, tired of the disrespect the village was giving him he decided to leave on this night following a path that would lead him anywhere but here even though he was leaving little amont of freinds he managed to make, at least he said goodbye. Then as he was walking under the night sky with a full moon above he saw the man walking down the same path toward the village he left, not a word was said when they passed one another but the boy did stop in his tracks and look over his shoulder watching the man walk toward the village, he only thought him to be a simple traveler or maybe a returning citizen so he brushed it off and continued on his way but he couldn't shake the bad feeling that came upon him...about the man he passed. As he continued on his path that's when he heard the screams from a distance and quickly turning and looking back he saw his home in flames as black smoke drifted into the sky! That's when he panicked worried for the ones that were precious to him and sprinted back with speed, arriving back within his home town he knew it was that man he saw, he knew that he was the one responcible for all of this! Now here he was now running through the blazing town and then he came across the only friends he had, all four of them were laid on the ground...to his horror they were dead, he even checked for a pulse but there was nothing...not a sign of said pulse in any of them. What did he feel, he felt scared, sad but the one emotion that took over was rage! He didnt cry but ran off looking for thier killer with eyes filled with hatred...he would avenge his freinds, his precious people! Moments later he came across a survivor but he was dieing due to the stab wound that was in his stomach, the young avenger ran to him taking a knee beside him ignoring the flames surrounding him.

"Who did this to you?" The boy asked.

"A...a man...wearing a blue hood..." He said weakly as he coughed up blood.

"Which way did he go?" He asked almost in a shout and the man weakly brought up his hand and pointed his finger in a direction that lead out of the village going north, and then his hand fell hitting the ground as he passed on going to the Lifestream.

The young avenger sprinted toward the direction his freinds killer went, leaving the village and into the forest. He continued on a straight path for a couple of minutes until he arrived within a clearing and there he was, the man in the blue hood!

"I've been looking for you…!" The ten year old said seething in rage, venom in his voice, grabbing the mans attention who turned around facing boy wearing white shorts and a black short sleeved shirt that had a raised collar, and he wore black shoes (like the sandals the characters in Naruto would wear).

"What is a child doing here, coming before me?"The AVALANCHE Leader asked wearing battle armor wondered looking at the boy with his blue colored sword in hand as the guard looked to be the open mouth of a hydra. That's what this man was called, The Hydra, he has been traveling Gaia commencing attacks on towns and military bases that belonged to Shin-Ra in response to Shin-Ra waging war. The rumor now was that Sephiroth was on the hunt for him so that he can be dealt with, it was what The Hydra wanted as when he would defeat Sephiroth he would send Shin-Ra a message. This man destroyed the small village the boy lived in killing everyone he loved, his family and friends were all dead now because of this man and he wanted revenge.

"Why did you kill everyone in my village, we did nothing to you!"

"So you're a survivor…lucky you then, go live on and spread the fear that I have inflicted upon the soils of Shin-Ra."

"There will only be one survivor left standing at the end of this!"

"You intend to kill me?" The Hydra laughed as if it were a joke "You're just a child, now run along for I wait for the arrival of the "strongest man in the world""

"I am not a child!" The black white hanging haired streaked boy yelled his eye morphed into a different shape and color. The Iris of his eyes turned from blue to red as three black comma markings appeared surrounding his black eye pupil! "I'm your end!"

_"What is that? _The Hydra wondered with a sweat going down his brow, it felt as if the boy were looking through into his soul "What are you?" Hydra asked bringing up his weapon going into a stance and then dashed toward the boy, jumped in the air and descended down toward the boy swinging his blade down cutting through. One would have thought that he killed the boy but what surprised him was that the boy dispersed into a flock of crows all having the same eyes as the boy. Hydra was confused as the crows flew all around him cawing aloud then started to flock to where he was standing before, the crows looked to be clashing into one another forming a figure that looked to be the top half of someone and then the bottom half. Then they took the image of the boy he swore he just killed, Hydra was both confused and baffled "Impossible I cut you down!"

"You thought wrong…now do you see that I am not just a simple ten year old child…"

Hydra then quickly threw a single kunai knife stabbing into the chest of the boy as he flew back from the impact "Didn't anyone teach you not to taunt your opponent?" Hydra asked with a smirk but it immediately vanished as the boy stopped in midair floating "What is this, some sort of Magic, a special Materia?" The boy then dispersed into crows again and they all flocked toward him cawing!

The Hydra was blinded by the crows flying past him but did manage to catch the boy that was now in front of him spinning in the air delivering a kick to his face! Hydra landed in a tumble and immediately spun himself back up to his feet glaring at the boy with his blade ready beside him, flocks of black crows flying around the boy cawing. "Tell me child how are you doing this?" Hydra asked but more like demanded but the boy said nothing and only glared at Hydra with his freakish looking eyes "Answer me child! What sort of magic is this, what Materia are you using?"

"Materia? This is no special Materia that anyone could possibly find…"

"So this is Magic, I must commend you on your powerful use of it, you were even able to land a hit on me."

The boy chuckled again "Who said this was Magic?"

"It has to be, you said so yourself that you are using no special Materia so it has to be Magic, it has to be one or the other!" Hydra shouted

"This isn't Magic…"

"Impossible,"

"This is simply my own power!" He said glaring at The Hydra

"What is your name boy?" The Hydra of Wutai asked intrested in this child

"My name is Rike **(AN: Pronunciation is Righk but his name is spelt Rike)**…and it will be a name that you will take to your grave…"

"The one that will be sent to his grave is you but I have taken a liking to you, I'll offer you this one chance…come with me and help fight in the name of Wutai!"

"Killing innocent people is what you call fighting for your countries name?"

"Its war…" Hydra simply answered

"No its murder, killing innocents isn't going to do your enemy no good but provoke its wrath!"

_"For someone his age he's mature…"_ Hydra thought.

"As for your offer…the answer is still no." Rike said with a smirk.

"A shame, its looks that I'll have to kill you then…" Hydra charged the boy with full intent in killing Rike; if he wouldn't join him then he would kill him for he could become a great threat. As he swung his blade he was impressed as Rike ducked and dodged all of his swings so far, it seems that the boy has had some sort of training and at such a young age. He managed to slash through the boy smirking seeing that he won proving Rike wrong as he cut the boy in half but at least he would have. The boy once again dispersed into a flock of crows that flocked around with the others and the whole flock flew up into the air above him and once again they seemed to gather forming a figure? The figure formed into the top half of Rike looking down upon him!This was becoming infuriating; Rike was making him look like a fool, a ten year old! If this wasn't Magic or Materia then what could it be, he then took notice that the pain where Rike struck him in the face was gone? That was odd as he should still be feeling it, the kid had the hell of a punch after all not that it was super strong but was a good hit no doubt. He even took notice that there was no bruise? He brought his free hand up to his cheek feeling it.

"The pain is gone? It's almost as if it never happened…as if it were a…!" That's when he realized.

"So you finally figured it out, for the great and feared Hydra you sure are slow?" Rike taunted.

"So this entire time you somehow put me in an illusion, I'm impressed." Hydra said with a smirk "Unfortunately for you boy I know how to cancel out illusions and the answer to that is simple Magic," Hydra's hand then glowed a light green color that coursed within his body and dispersed the energy and watched as the crows and Rike above fade away. He found himself still standing in the same spot where he was or always was standing in? Rike was in the same spot as well with his home burning with black smoke rising into the sky in the background. The two still stare at one another...

"So tell me…if you didn't use cast this illusion without the use of any Materia," Magic is conjured through the use of Materia "how did you cast it?" The Hydra asked wanting answers.

"Do you really think that I would tell you, I'm not any foolish child that would brag about it?"

"Little smart ass…I'll give you one last chance…join me?"

"And I'll give you the same answer…no."

"Then die!" Hydra yelled casting a powerful fire spell at Rike!

A chopper owned by the Shin-Ra company was approaching the area where the fire of the village lite up in the night, a man with long silver hair was looking out the window of the choppers door observing. He was the SOLDIER Hero called Sephiroth and he took notice of explosion further in the forest…he slides open the door of the chopper and jumps out falling through the sky down into the trees below, the chopper itself along with six others heading straight for the burning village. Hydra watched his work as the fire spread and the smoke of dirt rising, he smirked seeing how easy that was and thought that he should have done it from the beginning. He suddenly looked to his right and there Rike was with a single made hand seal and taking in a deep breath and then blew forward a fireball that fired at him! Hydra brought up his free hand as it glowed green and barrier seemed to protect him from the fireball as it blew up upon impact! The torrent of fire stops blowing from Rike's mouth and fades while the fire around Hydra dissipates as he casted a water spell putting out the surrounding fire around him, now Rike was starting to piss him off! Hydra then saw Rike push his left pointer and middle fingers against underneath his right wrist and then poof of a smoke there Rike had within his right hand a giant windmill shuriken spinning rapidly!

"What the hell?" Hydra asked wondering just how the hell this child can do all these things; it was starting to feel as if he were in some fantasy game or story? Rike threw the giant Windmill Shuriken at Hydra who simply front flipped over the shuriken as it went past under him! "Nice try brat!" Rike could only smirk and Hydra caught it wondering what he was smiling about and then he heard a poof and looking back over his shoulder upside down he saw the windmill shuriken turn into Rike? He then watched as the other Rike threw a single familiar kunai knife his way, HIS KUNAI KNIFE! Hydra tilted his head as the knife looked to go past him but as it came before his eyes he noticed something odd about it? Attached to it looked to be tied wire with burning piece of paper that had a kanji seal for BOMB! Hydra knew what it was as it was an art practiced in the lands of Wutai, a long time ago that is. _"Shit!" _He cursed in his mind as an explosion followed spreading smoke throughout the area.

Rike watched and let his eyes return to normal falling to one knee, he did it, he got him, and he avenged his loved ones. Or that's what he thought as water like serpent dashed out of the smoke snatching the other Rike in its jaws clamping down into it, the other Rike dispersing into smoke? Rike watched as the smoke cleared and saw Hydra having scratches and dents in his armor as well as small cuts, armor looked cracked. Hydra looked to be inside a water dome that surrounded his form and three tall water Hydra's standing tall roaring down at him. How was Rike supposed to fight this?

"You little bastard, as impressive and skilled as you are how can someone like you, a child, push me this far!" Hydra was angry because he intended to use this as a trump card against Sephiroth when he arrived to face him, now here he had to use it against a ten year old! "You thought that you could kill me, the proud and powerful leader of Wutai!"

"Your Wutai's leader?" Rike asked suprised.

"I intended to use this against Sephiroth when he arrived…using it against a child, how embarrassing. But like you said…your no normal child…"

Rike grind his teeth in frustration "When you said "the strongest man in the world" you were referring to the SOLDIER Hero Sephiroth?"

"Of course, who else…?"

"Are you telling me that the only reason why you came into our village killing innocent men, woman and children, my friends and everyone else I loved just to get Sephiroth's attention?" Rike asked in a yell of rage and Hydra only smirked as Rike looked at his burning home, the image of it reflecting in his eyes. Hydra heard the sound of choppers and only smirked…Sephiroth must have arrived as he saw six choppers looking to land near the burning village.

"He's here, at last!" Hydra said then looked to Rike who had tears coming from his eyes as they trailed down his cheeks hitting the dirt ground "Look at this way boy…you will join all of them now…in the Lifestream." The center Hydra serpent reared its head back preparing to strike "It a shame…you had so much potential, you should've joined me…now die!" Time seemed to slow to Rike as he looked up to the open mouthed water Hydra serpent coming down toward him and then back at his burning village. Everything he loved was gone…his friends…his family…all gone…then he felt something within him? He felt a surge of new power that channeled to his eyes and they suddenly started to bleed as his eye pupil within, the Iris of his eyes turned from blue to red once again, morphed into a three intersecting ellipses that was red, the background was black as his red ellipses eye pupil glowed a menacing red!The water Hydra serpent was clasped around its neck by something that freaked him out to the core.

"What the hell is that?" Hydra asked in shock.

Clasped around the center Water Hydra's neck was a giant ethereal skeletal boned hand as a skeletal arm was stretched all the way beside what looked to be surrounding rib cages? The bones exceled a sinister purple color as Rike himself who was on his knees had the same sinister glowing purple color but was an aura coming out of him? The energy that surrounded the boy was strong…one thing was for sure…this was not magic! It felt…dark! The skeletal hand choked the Water Hydra's neck as Rike stood tall once again with new found power and turned his head looking into The Hydra's eyes showing him the new stage of his eyes.

"What the hell are you!" Hydra yelled.

"I'm oblivion…" Rike said and the skeletal hand slammed the Water Hydra's head into the ground making it disperse into water but another seemed to take its place as another formed out of the water dome surrounding The Hydra manifested. He commanded his two other Water Hydra's to strike Rike and watched as the right skeletal arm caught his third Hydra and a left arm manifested catching the second Water Hydra, however Rike's opponent only smirked at this seeing his opening.

"So you caught my two serpents, but what will you do about the third!" Hydra asked in a taunt smirking as the center Water Hydra reared its head back preparing to strike.

Rike didn't seem to be fazed as he merely said "I won't have to do nothing…"

The Water Hydra strikes but suddenly had its head removed from its shoulders "What!" The Leader of Wutai looked up seeing Sephiroth with his seven foot long katana sword Masamune in his left hands grasp looking down at him with cold eyes "he will." Rike finished as Sephiroth landed in front between the two fighters.

"Sephiroth!" Hydra addressed.

"Tinsega Wutai, the one known as The Hydra going around killing innocents?" Sephiroth said glaring at the leader of Wutai.

The revealed Tinsega seethed seeing as he already had to use most of his strength against Rike who made the skeletal arms slam the two heads of the Water Hydra's heads together, the arms vanishing but Rike still having the purple glowing rib cage structure around his form acting as a shield and purple aura around him. Sephiroth looked over his shoulder looking at the boy with interest; the energy he was giving off was interesting and took notice of his eyes. Sephiroth had cat like eyes that weren't normal but what this boy had was sort of freakish that could scare anyone who saw them the first time around, completely ignoring the three forming Water Hydra's that strikes down at the distracted Sephiroth! Rike was going to yell and warn him only that Sephiroth didn't need to be as he simply swishes his long sword above him decapitating all three Water Hydra's at once with a single swipe! That alone was incredible to Rike, a single slash of his sword and he took all three Hydra heads out! Sephiroth had his main focus back on Tinsega watching as the water dome around him, he started seeing that the water was starting to reform the Water Hydra's and took this as his moment to strike and dashes toward Tinsega. Tinsega aims his blade forward and firing out of the water dome were multiple water bullets, Sephiroth jumping from one side to another dodging them and finally back flipping away over the last water bullet as the three Water Hydra's were formed again. He analyzed the situation, when he attacked killing the Water Hydra's they needed to reform from the infinite water supply that was the water dome surrounding Tinsega Wutai. As he saw them about to reform out of the water dome he dashed forward to attack but the Wutai leader fired water bullets at him to keep him away, and the Water Hydra's reformed once again. It was obvious that the opportunity of attack was when his pets were destroyed while his water dome worked on reforming them, that were his weak point and that was the opportunity to strike! So he did the same thing again taking out the Water Hydra's and attacked Tinsega but this time when he fired the water bullets a familiar skeletal hand came at his blind side. He realized his mistake and that was forgetting about Rike. The ethereal purple glowing skeleton came at him, Sephiroth took Tinsega's distraction as opportunity slashing across the water dome and you know what happened? It broke away like it were glass leaving him completely defenseless as the skeleton hand grabbed and clasped around Tinsega's body lifting him up in the air!Sephiroth watched as the skeleton hand held Tinsega before Rike who was looking up at him with complete rage, his eyes glowing fiercely. Tinsega felt the skeleton hand squeezing with intent on killing him making him drop his blade.

"I told you that I would be your end…your oblivion!" Rike reminded as he commanded for the hand to squeeze harder and Tinsega begged Sephiroth to stop him who surprisingly just stood there watching.

"What is your name boy…?" Sephiroth asked in his always calm tone of voice.

"its Rike…"

"Listen Rike, he is beaten, let him go and I will hand him over to Shin-Ra where he will answer for his crimes…" Sephiroth reasoned.

"Why should he live!" Rike asked in a yell of rage.

"Because by killing him you will take justice away from the survivors of your village, children and families will have no closure…he will be courted and put behind bars where he will spend the rest of his days for his crimes of genocide. If you kill him then you will be no better than him…"

"Excuse me?" Rike asked as if he were insulted.

"Revenge…it's what you want right now, no one could blame you for that. Tinsega Wutai kills as revenge against Shin-Ra…if you kill him that makes you no better than he wants to have vengeance." Sephiroth said, the words seemed to hit Rike as he pondered his thoughts.

"Your decision,"

Rike looked into Tinsega's eyes, he was a man that got his way of revenge killing innocents and here Rike was wanting to kill him, he may not be innocent but if he killed this man out of vengeance than he was just like him. To Tinsega's relief he was released and drop to the ground like a rag doll, one that was still alive. The skeleton hand vanishing as well as the rib cage bones surrounding Rike followed by the glowing purple aura that subsided. The only thing left was Rike's eyes and Sephiroth observed as they turned from an ellipses to three spinning commas around the center eye pupils to turning to his normal blue eyes. _"Very curious…" _Sephiroth thought. The angry boy walked up to the downed Tinsega stopping in front of him, said man looked up at him and was met in the face by Rike's foot knocking him out.

Sephiroth kicked Tinsega's blade away and his Masamune seemed to brighten a purple color and then shrink into a small purple marble sized ball. He then pulled out handcuffs cuffing Tinsega's hands behind his back and then confiscated any Materia on his person disarming him of the use of any magic. He heard the sound of something hitting the ground and Sephiroth looked to Rike who was on his knees clutching his hand covering his eyes as the blood that was leaking out of his eyes was now dry. Sephiroth called in giving his location to allies through an earpiece requesting a medical team and then saw as Rike collapsed to his side on the ground unconscious. When he came to he was looking up into a what looked to be to be the inside of a tent, he heard a beeping sound and looking to his right he could see a monitor obviously to detect his signs of life. He pushed himself up with his elbows and he didn't feel sore at all? He looked around seeing that he was the only one in this tent and daylight shined through the only in and exit of the tent, outside he could see people walking seeing survivors, armed Shin-Ra Troopers as well as three people wearing suits with one of them looking to be female. Rike grabbed the covers of the blanket and threw them off to the side remembering the events of last night against Tinsega and with Sephiroth's appearance. He got up to his feet and made his way toward the exit of the tent and when parting the drape aside he immediately heard the sound of rifles cocking making him stop in his tracks.

"Don't move prisoner!" A voice commanded and both sides of Rike were two Shinra Troopers aiming their rifles at his head ready to pull the trigger and kill. Rike motioned his head up toward the trooper to his right that was the one that gave him the command.

"I said don't move!" The Shin-Ra Trooper commanded but Rike didn't however listen as he narrowed his eyes at him and saw that they were attracting a scene getting attention. He motioned his vision forward looking to a group of survivors seeing kids around his age group with surviving adults and medics assisting them look at him, the way they were looking at him was in fear?

"Get your ass back inside until you are told to come out!" Rike didn't seem to listen as his eyes morphed into what he would from now on refer to as The Copy Wheel Eye or Sharingan.

"Did you hear me prisoner? Get back inside now!" Rike's Sharingan morphed to the second level as the pupil turned into red ellipses as his second staged eyes glow a menacing red, he would refer this level as The Telescope Eye or Mangekyo Sharingan.

"If you two value your lives stand down!" A commanding voice said and Rike directed his eyes to the familiar voice and face of Sephiroth walking toward them.

"Sir?" One of them asked intimidated as their superior threatened them?

"I am saying from the boy's point of view, he will destroy you." Sephiroth said.

"What, I don't understand sir?"

"This boy defeated The Hydra, Wutai's leader." Sephiroth said shocking them; they assumed that it was Sephiroth that defeated The Hydra. "It's because of this boy that the victims and survivors of this village and others will receive justice for the crimes committed by The Hydra, you should be thanking him for he may have given Shin-Ra the turning point to the war against Wutai." Not only were the Shin-Ra Troopers at awe and astonished by this but so were the other people that overheard, Rike basically defeated one of Shin-Ra's Most Wanted on their list.

"We did not know sir, we were ordered to stand guard and not let the child leave." The second Shin-Ra Trooper said.

"Ordered by whom?" Sephiroth asked.

"Professor Hojo sir," Shin-Ra Trooper 2 answered.

"You may leave; this boy is not a prisoner but a survivor…"

"Sir!" They both said giving a salute and walking away to join others leaving Sephiroth and Rike to stare at one another, Sephiroth looking into the eyes of the Mangekyo Sharingan. Rike deactivated his Mangekyo Sharingan letting it revert back to his normal eyes as Sephiroth walked past him back in the tent and Rike got the message and followed.

"You have curious abilities Rike," Sephiroth said as Rike didn't say anything, he just stares "It's not every day that a child gifted as you comes up in the world able to defeat The Hydra of all people,"

"I guess I'm just very talented…" Rike said.

"Where did you acquire such power, where did you receive training in the skills you know?" Sephiroth asked.

"Would you believe me if I said that I was self-taught?"

"How does one self tech themselves how to make a clone of themselves or for that matter summon the dark power you used against The Hydra, those skeleton arms and bones made of energy?"

"So you observed a bit before helping me out?"

"I was surprised seeing a ten year old boy standing against The Hydra and the damage lay in the area, so I took it upon myself to observe. How did you make a copy of yourself…?"

"That was what I like to call my Shadow Clone technique,"

"Shadow Clone?"

"I can create a solid clone of myself that has a human conscious of its own and whenever it's destroyed the experience it gained and memories of the clone automatically transfer to me!" Rike said proudly with a smile at his amazing accomplishment.

"Surely someone taught you these techniques?" The SOLDIER Hero asked.

"No I came up for them by myself!" Rike said defiantly not caring if this was the SOLDIER Hero or if was a man that was rightfully to be feared.

"Then what about your eyes?"

"My eyes…?"

"Yes, they changed into a different shape, transformed, what was that…?"

"I never really knew much of it at first but I've had it since I was seven, before I didn't have a name for them?"

"You have a name for them?"

"I now call it Sharingan!"

"Copy Wheel…?" Sephiroth then had a thought that the name speaks for itself "How does it work?" Rike didn't say a word meaning that he refused to share the secrets of his Sharingan "Fair enough then…" Sephiroth said with an amused small smile, someone who stood up to him, no fear, not caring about his reputation, not that he wanted him to care. "Surly you are hungry?" Sephiroth suggested and as if on cue Rike's stomach growled making his cheeks tint and light red in embarrassment, the SOLDIER Hero gave a chuckle and motioned him to the exit of the tent where they both stepped outside. Rike was escorted by Sephiroth where food and medical attention was being given to by the survivors of men, woman, children, and surviving friends and family but some. "Feel free to attend to the food," Sephiroth said and walked off somewhere, mostly on SOLDIER business Rike thought. He saw a table where food was being given and behind it sitting in chairs or standing behind it and talking were people wearing suits, no one was at the table to receive food but he did see a group of the survivors gathered together. Groups of surviving children and adults, and as he walked toward the table to get food he could already feel the eyes of the children upon him…he can even hear their mummers. His approach even got the people in the suits attention as they saw the child that defeated The Hydra walking their direction to fill his stomach, the woman with blond hair noticed that Rike was looking at the ground the entire way to avoid eye contact like he was in trouble for doing something wrong?He stopped in front of the table with his face still down not saying a single word...

"Well if it isn't the village's young hero?" The blond woman said with a smile while Rike remained silent "Are you hungry?" She asked kindly and received a silent nod from the young boy "Okay then," She said with a smile standing up "grab you a plate please?" She asked in the same kind voice as Rike slowly reached and grabbed a plate holding it within his hands as the kind woman poured him food of chicken, vegetables, and mashed potatoes with gravy. "There we go the food for a strong young man!" She said as she gave Rike a fork and a bottle of water who finally looked up to her and the others and said "Thank you…" and she returned a smile while the others nod.

"Can I ask you a question?" The woman asked and Rike had a feeling what it was about "How did someone such as you become as strong and gifted as to defeat The Hydra?" She asked.

"I trained…I guess?" He said really not knowing the answer himself.

"It may not be a good enough answer but oh well?" She said "Just remember these words…with great power comes great responsibility."

Rike listened to the wise words and they seemed to be ones that would stay with him forever, in others words don't abuse your power so much and use it responsibly. He gave her a small smile followed with a nod as he turned and walked off to go sit somewhere by himself away from others. So he continued to eat all on his own not bothering anyone…talking…looking…nothing, he only sat on the stump with his plate in his lap minding his own business. He did turn his sights on what remained of the village that he called home, the town looking a wreck like it had been through a hurricane. The village looked like it could not be salvaged…but who knows maybe it can rebuild or maybe the survivors will move somewhere else, maybe go to Midgar? As Rike continued eating he heard multiple footsteps coming HIS way, they were the footsteps of five children and he can feel the intense glare radiating off of one of them but he was not even fazed as he continued eating even when the group of kids stopped in front of him.

"Can I help you?" Rike asked with closed eyes while eating.

"We heard that you got him…?" The boy asked grabbing Rike's attention as he motioned his head up looking at the kid with cold dark emotionless eyes. "The Hydra guy…the man that destroyed our home…you got him right?" This was a surprise to Rike as he remembers this boy called him a freak in the past getting kicks out of it?

"Yeah I got him…"

"Good…you made him suffer right?" The boy asked with angry eyes.

"….Suffer?" Rike asked closing his eyes slowly.

"Yeah suffer, so what did you do?"

"Why would you want to know Dave…to be honest this is a surprise to me…never had you ever spoke more than two words to me without calling me freak? If you really must know I was going to kill him but instead I turned him into Shin-Ra…killing him would have been…*takes a deep breath, a frustrated one*…pointless as the victims of our village and others of The Hydra's attacks would not be delivered justice." Rike said "At least that is what Sephiroth said?" He said under his breath while clutching his fist, he wanted to kill The Hydra so badly for what he had done, Rike's hatred was great as it was powerful due to that strong powerful energy radiating off that ethereal demonic looking skeleton figure.

"He still alive then?" Dave asked obviously upset.

"Yes…" Rike replied simply.

"You should have killed him!"

"Believe me you don't how much I wanted to!" Rike snapped making them back off taking a step back. "You have your answer of what became of Hydra, now leave, his fate is in Shin-Ra's hands now…" Rike said getting back to his food and shutting everything else out from the world wanting to be alone.

"You may not know what you are…but I do…" Dave said and Rike prepared for the usual freak name calling like Dave always did "you're…a hero." His eyes snapped back open at what Dave of all people called him, he called him a hero, and he was a hero? Dave walked away with hands in his pockets with the other kids following after him but not before giving Rike a nod, did they just show him a sign of respect?

Within the ruins of the village men and woman is suits were a group known as the Turks that were undercover cops of the Shin-Ra Electrical Power Company. They were part of The Investigative Division of General Affairs Department but for short they were called the Turks that was headed up by their boss Veld. Turks were the purpose in seeking out potential recruits for Shin-Ra's special group of warriors infamously known as SOLDIER. In truth they were highly skilled and deadly special agents that worked for the company gathering intelligence, providing additional security, and protecting the company's secrets NO MATTER THE COST! One person known a Tseng was on the phone or his Handset talking to Veld who was back in Midgar.

"I don't know how we could have missed this one sir….yes sir…yes sir…I understand sir."

Tseng hanged up as one of the Turks approached him giving him their report of finding no additional survivors, the village going to hell and looked beyond repair. The Hydra had literally destroyed the town and would likely be abandoned left to Mother Nature and animal habitat of monsters. The survivors would have to move to another town or just take them to Midgar to live under Shin-Ra rule and live comfortable lives under the efficient harvested energy called Mako, and surviving children that didn't have any family survivors would most likely join the children in the Slums. Soon it would be time to leave this village and fly back to Midgar with civilians…

He was within the forest outside where the now village ruin that was once his home laid, Rike standing within a clearing where he came to practice what he called his Kunai Technique. Eight targets were set up where he last left them as one was laid behind a boulder as a blind spot while three others were on ground level beside trees and the remaining four within the trees placed in different spots. This required a lot of concentration as it was not easy, one slip and the whole thing could screw up. There Rike stood in the center of the clearing with closed eyes putting him at peace and concentrating, he didn't know that he was being watched from the shadows by Sephiroth. He watched as Rike quickly flicked out kunai knives, rusty ones, into between his fingers and then suddenly vanishes and reappears up in midair. He watched as Rike let himself fall back and descend down turning himself while flicking the kunai in multiple different directions, he then watched as he flicked the last two he had in his hands into his hands into another. Kunai collided with kunai sending them in a different direction toward their targets, Rike landing on the ground, and hearing the thuds of stabbing kunai into the eight targets even hitting the one behind the boulder that was the blind spot! He however only hit six bull eyes while the remaining two were a little off from their targets center.

"A better improvement from last time…" Rike said to himself as his eyes were now Sharingan "I have to get stronger…if I wasn't weak I would've saved the village…" He told himself. He desired to become stronger, not in a way where in the future he would abuse his power but not feel weak, to ensure that an event like last night would never happen again.

"This boy…?" Sephiroth said to himself, Rike was an interesting individual. He then took notice that Rike seemed to hurt his ankle in the landing a little and watched as Rike healed it casting the spell cure over it, Sephiroth didn't know that Rike possessed Materia? Where did he even get Materia from, there were not Mako Springs anywhere near this area or region for that matter?Sephiroth watched as Rike slowly stood up back on his feet with his back to him.

"Who's there?" Rike suddenly asked surprising Sephiroth a little "Come on out…I can feel your energy." Energy? Was Rike able to sense the infused Mako in his body?

_"This kid is just full of surprises…"_ The SOLDIER Hero thought as he walked out into the clearing as Rike turned his direction with active Sharingan eyes.

"Sephiroth…?"

"Rike…?"

"Why were you spying on me from the shadows?"

"I took an interest in you…followed you here and watched your technique, impressive." Sephiroth complimented.

"Thanks…"

"I have questions that need answers."

"Such as...?"

"First of all who were your parents, where are they?"

"Never knew them." Rike replied.

"Orphan?" Sephiroth asked.

"Yes..."

"They abandoned you?" Sephiroth asked thinking they abandoned Rike due to his abilities.

"No...I never was...at least I hope...they died when I was very young, I dont even remember their faces."

_"So he doesn't know of his origin as well?" _Sephiroth thought. The SOLDIER Hero didnt know who his parents were either, both their origins were clouded in darkness. "I too was feared when I was your age,"

"People were afraid of you?" Rike asked kind of suprised.

"Yes,"

"How did you turn that fear from the people into love, how were you acknowledged?" Rike asked.

"To be honest I never was really concerned about it, my loyalties were to SOLDIER..."

"But eventually people did right? I mean you have a fan club," Rike said and Sephiroth's left eye twitched in annoyance as the screams of all those fan girls screamed his name asking him for dates or to marry them, fan girls were annoying! "and many children evrywhere dream to be a part of SOLDIER to become just like you."

"Why exactly do you wish to become stronger?" Sephiroth asked suddenly.

"Why...?"

"You must have a reason...?"

"At first I only did it to become this village's protector fending any monsters near the village away...I did it for recognition, acknowledgement, to be respected as a person and not seen as a 'freak' or a 'monster'. But not even that was enough so I decided that I was going to leave the village and become so strong and powerful that everybody in the villlage would have to respect me then and not look at me as some sort of monster! I planned on traveling to Midgar last night...but then he crossed my path and the next thing I know the village that I worked so hard to protect from monsters was in flames..." Rike said.

"Why Midgar?"

"Is it not obvious...?"

"Let me guess, you wished to become a part of SOLDIER?" Sephiroth said.

"...Yes," Rike said and watched as the SOLDIER Hero turned his back to him, it looked like that Sephiroth was going to leave him be and go on his way.

"Do you have a dream...?" Sephiroth suddenly asked confusing Rike.

"What...?" Rike asked confused.

"A dream...do you have one?"

"What do dreams have to do with anything?" Rike asked.

"A freind once said that in order for one to be a hero they have to have dreams and honor..."

"So what are you saying, that in order for me to become stronger and gain respect I have to have dreams and honor?"

Sephiroth closed his eyes giving one of his smiles "Perhaps..." He said "We will all be leaving to Midgar soon," He added.

"Midgar? Shin-Ra?"

"Yes...seeing as how I have taken a interest in you I have a proposition just for you."

"A proposition?"

"Do you really want to become SOLDIER?" Sephiroth asked in a serious tone turning back to Rike facing him.

"What are you asking of me?" Rike asked deactivating his Sharingan eyes as they turned back to blue.

"I am offering to take you under my wing as my student, my apprentice..." Sephiroth could have Rike become his living legacy in the future **if** his time ever came or **if** he fell in battle.

"You mean train under you!" Rike was obviously shocked as well as excited; no one was offered to be trained by the SOLDIER Hero every day you know!

"Yes...I will shape you into a powerful warrior, you will become stronger and calling yourself weak will be a thing of the past. Do you accept my offer?" Sephiroth watched as Rike's lips formed into a smile.

"When do we get started?" Rike asked and Sephiroth gave the boy a small smirk.

"Upon our return to Midgar." He said turning around and walking away with Rike running up to his side as a black angel feather blows in the wind above them.

* * *

**That's it, tell me what you think...:) I will be continuing this story no matter what and will update as soon as I can. As you've read Rike has the Mangekyo Sharingan like that of Sasuke Uchiha in the Naruto series, I like the way it looks and its just cool! As you read this you of course noticed that Rike used the Susano'o and the crows Itachi used, he will of course have the other abilities of the Mangekyo such as the Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi. The question is which will he be better at useing? **


	2. Chapter 1 Apprentice of the SOLDIER Hero

**And I'm back with another chapter!**

**I do not own Final Fantasy VII, Naruto or any other franchises!**

" " Talking

_" " Thoughts_

**_" " Flashback _**

* * *

It had been a total of five passing years for Rike ever since the day he defeated The Hydra, since the day he was taken under by Sephiroth, since the day he officially became SOLDIER 1st Class Rike. The boy now wore a black high collard short sleeve shirt that was unzipped all the way down to his mid chest level and on the back of it was the symbol of SOLDIER, dark blue pants with black sandals, black fingerless gloves, and the SOLDIER 1st Class black belt where a sheathed sword called the High Frequency Sword was behind his waist secured behind the belt slanted out to his right and stood 160 cm in height. His hair even changed that was now shoulder length (**like that of young Madara's**) , some bangs of his hair were mostly black and little were pure white. He had become powerful thanks to Sephiroth who trained him and helped him with his eye abilities and other powers he had, they even named them, the three powers granted to him from the Mangekyo Sharingan. One was enabling him to conjure black flames that would burn anything it touched and wouldn't stop until its target was ash…they called this Amaterasu but it was really painful to use that his right eye would bleed and took a lot out of him. The second was an illusion that could send your opponent into a nightmare realm where basically you were god in that realm and could torcher his opponent controlling the mass of objects as well as time and space, this attack could bring down its opponent in one blow if one were to look him in the eyes and like Amaterasu took a lot of energy out of him that he called chakra…they called this technique Tsukuyomi and like Amaterasu it put strain on his left eye. The third is what Rike used against The Hydra ultimately beating him enabling him to conjure up an ethereal demonic skeleton warrior…this was called Susano'o, out of all of the abilities he had Susano'o was the most painful as it was like all the cells within his body were on fire but he was training himself to deal with the pain. So far Rike had never had to use Amaterasu or Susano'o because he didn't need it or that it didn't call for it against the opponents he faced in his SOLDIER career, the only technique he used sometimes was Tsukuyomi bringing his opponents down in one blow not moving from his spot. Using these techniques put strain on his eyes so much that sometimes he would cover his eyes wrapping a cloth around them to block out light to lessen the pain until it goes away. He also improved in his field of using techniques manipulating the elements without the use of Materia, he loved using fire and lightning techniques as well as wind, his skill with the sword was good as well but nowhere near Sephiroth's skill level.

Where was Rike right now? He looked to be in a forested area, trees surrounding him as he stood on green grass and off to his side was a boulder. He had eight targets set up with seven on ground level and in trees while the last was in a blind spot that was behind a boulder. He jumps up in the air above letting himself fall back down but spins himself around while flicking out kunai and throwing them in different directions while colliding kunai with others making them change direction hitting their targets, even the one behind the boulder! They were all dead center hits as he landed on his feet gracefully opening his eyes revealing his Sharingan as a smirk came upon his face. The environment around him seemed to blur and then melt, the grass lighting up a bright light blue color as he was now standing in a simulation room wearing Virtual Reality Training System goggles.

"Well done, you hit all the targets this time." Sephiroth's voice praised as Rike took off the headgear and looked over his shoulder at Sephiroth with a small smile, his Sharingan eyes deactivating.

"Thank you Seph,"

"Your training is over now Rike, you deserve time off to yourself."

"I don't mind training more?"

"I admire you want to become stronger but every now and then you need rest,"

"You never seem to rest?" Rike countered.

"That's because I am…what do you call it, badass?" Sephiroth said with a small smile with closed eyes

"Not when I beat you one day!"

"Until that day,"

"When I beat you I won't be known as the SOLDIER Hero…I will be known as the SOLDIER Legend!"

"A legend huh, you which to become one, is that your sort of dream?"

"Well I made it my dream didn't I…?"

"_If Angeal were here he would be giving him a lecture about dreams, honor, etcetera…" _ The SOLDIER Hero thought. To be mostly no one within the SOLDIER ranks, only a little, knew of Rike's existence, only the President of the company, the Director of SOLDIER, some scientists, and other higher ups that worked close to President Shinra. Sephiroth knew that Rike did not have such a great child hood back then and neither did he because he grew up within the walls of the company. He didn't have friends…and to make friends you had to make yourself known, so Sephiroth decided that he would have Rike reveal himself to his fellow SOLDIER companions. Everyone heard the rumors of Sephiroth having a secret apprentice that he claimed would be his living legacy so that if he ever died or fell in battle he would live through Rike. Sephiroth's Handset (or phone) rings and he answered it in record time, if what Rike knew what it was it was another mission that Sephiroth would bring Rike along on. He hanged up the phone closing it and putting it in his pocket.

"Mission?" Rike asked

"Yes,"

"Then let's go."

"Not today Rike,"

"Huh?"

"I said you have the rest of the day to yourself, this is now your time, go and meet your fellow SOLDIER operatives. Walk around and explore Midgar, try the whole Shin-Ra Building for all I care whether you get in trouble or not."

"But I want to go with you!" Rike complained.

"Let me put it another way, that's an order."

"That's cheating!" Rike said pointing an accusing figure at his mentor.

"Rike don't be afraid to reconnect with society…"

"Looks who's talking." Rike countered.

"It's not that I'm afraid to talk to people, I just don't want to." Sephiroth countered back as he began walking for the exit door waving a hand over his shoulder, the door automatically opening to the side and closing leaving a pouting crossed armed Rike Sephiroth. This is the first time EVER that Sephiroth said no to him on going on a mission with him…EVER! Rike had a feeling that more denies of going on missions would follow in the future and that made him grumble. In fact Sephiroth hinted to Rike sometimes that he could always request to go on missions on his own since he was a first class SOLDIER, you would have to speak to the Director which meant talking…something he wished to avoid. He took a deep breath and walked toward the exit door from the Training Room.

"Might as well give it a shot…"

On the SOLDIER Floor two 15 year old fresh 3rd rates SOLDIER's were talking, one of them was Zack Fair and the other was Kunsel. Both have traveled from their homes far from Midgar to become SOLDIER and they did it, those who don't make the grade are offered into the Security Maintenance Department where Troopers received their orders from. Kunsel was just telling that he saw the legendary SOLDIER Hero himself a while ago, Zach having cursed missing it wanting to see the SOLDIER Hero himself as well. Little did they know was Rike walked right by them and they didn't even notice as he was heading toward the elevators, Rike didn't go unnoticed as he passed by two adult 2nd Class SOLDIER's giving them no sort of recognition he just kept walking. How did he not go unnoticed? The belt was a big giveaway seeing as it was black meaning 1st's wore that color as 3rd's and 2nd's wore brown belts. Were they seeing things? There were rumors that Sephiroth's secret apprentice was a pre-teen child and was said to be a 1st Class SOLDIER, was that the kid? They continued to look at Rike's turned back as he pressed a button calling the elevator and waited not looking back over his shoulder.

"Is that I think it is?" The 2nd Class SOLDIER asked.

"No way, I don't believe it!" The second one of the group said as the elevator arrived for Rike, the doors opening as he stepped in turning around looking in the direction of the 2nd's watching him. They locked gazes for a second as Rike pressed a button making the elevator doors close in front of him. The 2nd Class SOLDIER's an arrow lite up pointing up and for the 80th level, which was where the SOLDIER Director's office was located.

"Are you telling me that one of our superiors is a kid?" The third 2nd Class SOLDIER of the group asked in disbelief.

Rike kept watching the number above increasing showing the floors he was passing 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70 He took his eyes off it seeing as it wouldn't make his trip up go any faster and then finally ten floors later while listening to terrible tunes the elevator stopped and the doors opened. He stepped out letting the doors close behind him as it was called by another on another floor and walked forward, his echoing steps catching the SOLDIER Director's attention, Director Lazard Shinra. He was the son of President Shinra who was the head of the Shinra Electric Power Company and brother of the upcoming Vice President Rufus Shinra. Lazard adjusted his glasses.

"Rike, this is a surprise…?" Rike stopped in front of his superior's desk giving him a raised eyebrow of question, why was it such a surprise "It's just that Sephiroth went on his mission and your usually out with him?"

"True, but he decided to give me time to myself, I wanted to go but he ordered me to stay and take time for myself."

"That's good; everyone deserves free time to themselves as much as they could get out of it when it presents itself…now why are you here before me? You usually go and stay in your room avoiding everyone else…?"

"He gave me an order to walk about…so to speak…"

"Good so you've been interacting with others now!"

"Not exactly…just walk by…not saying a word…it's kind of…?"

"Are you scared…?" Rike looked to the floor as if finding it interesting

"I know that you didn't have the greatest childhood Rike…you were not liked amongst the people of your once home…"

"Not everyone called me a monster…I had friends…now their dead because of The Hydra…"

"This isn't your home village Rike, you're in Midgar and I'm sure your fellow SOLDIER operatives would not think any less of you."

"And why is that sir?"

"You know the process every person has to go through to become a member of SOLDIER?"

"Mako infusion and the implantation of 'special' cells, a painful process…"

"That's right, it grants the person altered strength, agility, and speed and promotes the use of Magic…if your calling yourself a freak then would that mean that all of your other fellow SOLDIER are freaks as well?"

"That doesn't mean I'm the same as them…I'm a Monster, not a freak…"

Lazard sighs _"Rike you would be surprised…" _

"Director I came to request a assignment."

"Have you been notified or receive one via Handset?"

"No…?"

"Then you have no missions."

"That's because I always go on missions with Da-I mean Sephiroth!" Rike said and corrected himself to what he was about to call Sephiroth. Lazard gave a small smile bit amused; he almost called Sephiroth his dad. "I just need a mission so that I don't die from boredom…" Rike said as Lazard sat back in his seat thinking…

"Let me see…? There is one assignment that I have for you…" Lazard said.

"I'll take it," Rike said without hesitation.

"Suit yourself, we have a new batch of 3rd Class SOLDIER operatives that just graduated from their one's years' worth of training and graduated from the SOLDIER Exam. Your assignment is to test their abiltiy."

Lazard watched as Rike's right eye twitched, he knew that this wasn't an assignment he was expecting.

"Then I'm not taking the assignment." Rike said as it was his right for 1st Class SOLDIER's had the right to deny assignments. "Is their nothing else Director?" Rike asked.

"That's all there is…"

"You mean to tell me that this is the ONE and ONLY assignment AVALIABLE and NOTHING ELSE?" Rike asked.

"That's right…" Lazard said with a smile, and you know what…Rike didn't believe him.

"Are you sure about that, perhaps you can check again?" Rike asked.

Rike watched as Lazard gave his computer screen a single quick glance and said "Nothing else," with a smile causing Rike to twitch his own left eye.

"_He barely even gave the screen a glance!" _Rike thought. Should Rike go back to his room and meditate? To be honest he didn't feel like meditating. Maybe he should just go back to the Company Training Room and train? Oh no that's right the 2nd's used it at this time. Maybe he can just explore the building? No wait scratch that as that would be boring. Maybe go out into Midgar and explore the city itself? No he would probably get lost…wait a minute how would he get lost? Besides the entire Shin-Ra Building is HOW TALL? You can't miss it! But he didn't want to go into the city! He wanted an assignment that required cracking some monster skulls or perhaps human ones *cough* AVALANCHE *cough* Then he had a thought… "You did say test their ability no?" Rike asked rubbing under his chin.

"Yes…?" Lazard said cautiously.

"Why didn't you say so?" Rike asked with a smirk gracing his face. "They are all on the SOLDIER Floor I presume?"

"That's correct." Lazard said adjusting his glasses upon his nose.

"What if they don't listen to me, I don't think some would like see someone their age a higher rank testing them?"

"The badge you possess and not to mention the belt you wear speaks for itself, who knows some may see you an idol, a prodigy. This company has never seen someone a SOLDIER 1st Class so young since Sephiroth, you should feel proud as it is a great accomplishment."

"Thank you sir…"

"Now run along Rike, their waiting…" Lazard said waving him away with a smile as Rike spun on heel making his way to his destination.

There the young 15 year old fresh 3rd Class SOLDIER's waited, Zack and Kunsel among them, all wearing their helmets and their SOLDIER Swords on their backs. There were about twenty of them all gathered up talking amongst one another as a 2nd Class SOLDIER stood by watching over them waiting for Rike to arrive. This Shinra Trooper knew about Rike because of going along with Sephiroth, Rike as well at the time, went on assignment within the Northern Region of Gaia.

"When is he getting here?" Zack asked impatient.

"He'll be here, just be patient, you might even be impressed or just in plain disbelief…but I assure you that he is SOLDIER 1st Class." The SOLDIER 2nd said

"1st Class! Really?" Zack asked excited.

"Our first day here in SOLDIER and already we're going to meet a 1st Class!" Kunsel said.

"Maybe it's Sephiroth!" Zack said and mummers went about meeting the SOLDIER Hero himself.

"Sorry to disappoint all of you but no it isn't Sephiroth for he left on assignment, the man is busy." SOLDIER 2nd informed.

"Well of course, he's a hero after all!" Zack praised.

They went back to talking as Kunsel was the only one to notice that a pair of footsteps was heading their way as well as the SOLDIER 2nd who only turned his head and smiled.

"Your late you know…" He said and said person that was tardy stops in front of the group of third rates.

"I didn't know I was being timed, how you know I was assigned this 'assignment'?" The new voice asked.

"The Director let me know,"

The 3rd Class SOLDIER's stop talking and turn their attention that looked to be the same age as them, maybe younger standing before them seeing him armed with what looked like a sheathed katana behind him, had black hair with white streaks as well as wearing the belt of SOLDIER.

"Hello new recruits of SOLDIER, congratulations on making it this far into the first steps of your SOLDIER career. I am SOLDIER 1st Class Rike and I will be one of your instructors…" Rike said.

"No way you're a 1st!" A SOLDIER 3rd said and Rike pulled out his SOLDIER badge that was in his pocket, this alone told anyone that he was SOLDIER working for the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company.

"Stow that attitude cadet! Like it or not he is SOLDIER within the 1st Class ranking and you're superior, if you don't like it then take it up with the Director of SOLDIER!" The SOLDIER 2nd bereted and all the cadet did were shut up.

"That is IF he becomes a part of SOLDIER," Rike added confusing the cadets, they were SOLDIER?

"That's right; they still yet to take the true final test." The 2nd Class SOLDIER said.

"What do you mean we're not SOLDIER, and what test? We already passed the final test at the SOLDIER Academy?" Zack said confused and got a chuckle from Rike in response.

"Sorry to burst your bubble cadet but nether you not the rest of you lot are not SOLDIER, not yet at least." Rike said crossing his arms over his chest.

"What do you mean, I'm confused?" Kunsel said.

"You were all hand-picked by agents known as the Turks as potential SOLDIER Candidates, only fifty are chosen and offered to attend the SOLDIER Academy and out of that fifty only twenty of you who are standing before me were chosen to proceed to the true and final test. The other thirty that didn't make it either went home crying like baby's or went into Infantryman service for the company's Shin-Ra Army, you become a Shin-Ra Trooper basically. So if you were SOLDIER you would have what we call Mako Eyes…," Rike said.

"Mako Eyes…?" One of them asked.

Rike pointed his fingers to his eyes showing them his sky blue Mako infused eyes, they then watched as the SOLDIER 2nd took off his helmet and showed them that he had the same color set of eyes like Rike? "All members of SOLDIER go through a Mako Infusion procedure and upon completion are given amplified strength, speed, and agility along with the SOLDIER trademark…Mako Eyes which all members of SOLDIER have." Rike explained "And seeing as I don't see any of you with a pair of Mako Eyes none you must be SOLDIER yet until you pass this test…"

"What is the test?"

"I'm not done yet…" Rike said a little irritated that he was interrupted, once he had full attention he said "Only ten of you can be accepted."

"What are you serious?" Zack asked a little freighted seeing his chances cut in half, only ten can pass and he had to be part of that ten in order to get one step closer to his dream. He can even hear the protest the other cadets were giving saying that it wasn't fair or that Rike was bending the actual rules, one even yelled that it was bull.

"Silence!" Rike commanded and they immediate shut up, the SOLDIER 1st Class lets out a sigh and wonders why he just didn't deny this assignment. "Even if you fail and your results are still satisfying there is a good chance that you will be sent back to the SOLDIER Academy for a 6 month refreshing course and then you can retry the SOLDIER Exam again. So if you want to have that second chance don't do a crappy job in this exam, show them what you've learned but I assure you that only TEN of you can pass…nothing more, nothing less!" Seven more SOLDIER 2nd's walked over and joined standing beside the fellow SOLDIER 2nd and Rike? "Now there are twenty of you here so each of you is going to be split up in two's, one SOLDIER 2nd Class as your examiner…" Rike said and noticed Zack counting his fingers in two's.

"That leaves two people left out with no examiner though; I think your math is off?" Zack said not trying to be rude or smart in any way.

"Nothing is off cadet; the last two will be tested by me…" Rike said.

"_Feel sorry for those guys!" _Zack thought and listened as names were called as groups of two cadets walked off by their examiners, Zack then noticed Kunsel still beside him. "Buddy! Looks like we'll be working together huh?"

"Zack…?" Kunsel addressed as Zack looked around.

"Where the heck is out examiner?"

"Zack we're the last two," Kunsel said and that alone made him stop looking around and realized.

The two SOLDIER cadets looked toward the same direction and saw the smirking face of SOLDIER 1st Class Rike, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Looks like I'm your examiner and you're my victims…" The 1st Class said.

Kunsel and Zack had one similar single thought in mind…

_"Oh crap!" _

One thing was for sure, whatever test they were about to receive from Rike was not going to be easy…not by a long shot. Zack and Kunsel were commanded to follow Rike and they soon arrived to a door that said on it Training Room, the door automatically opening for them as Rike lead them inside. Upon their entry Zack and Kunsel were put at awe seeing the room, there was a glass wall and on the other side was a large room as the floor seemed to be lite up a light blue color. They were the only occupants in the room and Rike grabbed their attention by clearing his throat and pointed to a pair of goggles that were called for short VRTS (**V**irtual **R**eality **T**raining **S**ystem) Goggles. "Bring them with you inside, take off your helmets, and grab the Materia supplied by the company." Rike said grabbing his own pair and walked up to a door that was part of the wall of the Virtual Reality Training room that opened up for him. While magic can be used through the promotion of Mako energy it also is used by regular people only it will take a lot out of them. Zack and Kunsel did as told removing their helmets, Zack revealing his thick black spikes with bangs framing his face and Kunsel his short brown hair, they both then grabbed the supplied Materia of Thunder, Blizzard, and Fire and followed their superior taking their first steps into the Virtual Reality room, they saw as Rike was putting his goggles on and they too did the same. Rike pulled out of his pocket a Handset opening it and started appear to be typing in it?

"_Is he texting?" _Zack wondered and as if his mind was read…

"No I am not text messaging…upon becoming SOLDIER you will each get one of these for yourselves where you will be called on assignments and of course call friends or family." Rike said.

"Is their internet on that thing?" Zack asked and that when Rike stopped what he was doing and looked at Zack with raising his left eyebrow…

"Is that a serious question Zack Fair?" Rike asked.

"How did you know my name?"

Rike turned his phone showing him the screen and it had Zack's file on display with picture, name, and date of birth, everything including his time in the SOLDIER Academy. "Tell me something Fair, you're not going to let flirting with girls get in the way of your career as SOLDIER, if you pass, are you? Says in here at your days in the SOLDIER Academy you were late on multiple occasions because you were flirting with girls, are you going to be late to assignment?" Rike asked in a serious tone. Zack shakes his head rapidly left and right as multiple drops of sweat went down the sides of his head.

"No sir!" Zack assured.

"Good…because I wouldn't want to work with a tardy SOLDIER," Rike said and was looking at Kunsel and then back to his screen pressing a few more buttons retrieving information on the cadet. Kunsel's file popped up displayed on Rike's screen "It seems that you've been in trouble a little at the SOLDIER Academy with Fair here, I'm going to assume that you two are friends?" Rike asked and received a single nod from both of them. Rike pressed in a few more buttons and came to a pop up screen saying "BEGIN SIMULATION?" and Rike pressed YES, closed his phone and put it away in his pocket. Right before Kunsel and Zack's eyes the floor brightly lit up and blocked the blinding light with their arms and then a second later it ended. The two to be or not to be SOLDIER's brought down their arms and looked around finding themselves outside in the desert like plains outside of Midgar, they can see the city in the distance and the Shin-Ra Building standing tall as they stood near the edge of a cliff? (**Guess what spot, I'll give you a hint, it is where a hero's journey begins**) They even took notice that the goggles on their faces were now gone?

"How are we out here?" Zack asked amazed.

"This is a Virtual Reality Training System that will only be available to you upon promotion to SOLDIER 2nd Class, what you see around you is not real…" Rike said.

Zack held out his gloved hand and felt the wind itself "It certainly feels real though…?" He said.

"Yeah it's amazing!" Kunsel said.

"Let's begin," Rike said grabbing their attention as he drew his High Frequency Blade from its scabbard and leaned it atop his right shoulder, this action alone made Zack and Kunsel draw their SOLDIER Swords from behind their backs taking up a stance holding their blades in front of them. They assumed they were going to fight against the 1st Class SOLDIER but they took notice of what looked to be four sprinting Blood Tastes from the distance leaving a smoke trail coming toward the turned Rike who didn't seem to care as he stared at the cadets.

"Hey look out behind you!" Zack yelled but again Rike didn't seem to care and to their shock the Blood Tastes ran past and around Rike at THEM! "Holy!" Zack didn't get to finish his cursing as the two Blood Tastes jumped for them obviously hungry for blood as they gave a loud roar, Rike just watched. Zack and Kunsel brought up their blades to block the Blood Tastes that were going to grab them with their clawed paws; the Blood Tastes however use their blades as a stepping stone and jumped over them making Zack and Kunsel fall back on the ground as the Blood Tastes landed behind them! Zack picked himself up quickly and helped up Kunsel, the two having their blades in hand, and one of the Blood Tastes runs around them now having them surrounded as they slowly circled Zack and Kunsel who were now back to back. "Kunsel whatever you do don't separate, that's what these things want!" Zack said.

"Right!"

"Oh…you've seen these Monsters in action?" Rike asked a little impressed still standing there in the same spot…looking cool by Zack's thought as he leaned his sword against his shoulder.

"Well I am a country boy!" Zack said "And aren't you going to help us?"

"Who's the one being tested here?"

"Oh…" Zack deadpanned.

They had no time to talk as the Blood Taste before Zack dashed toward him and bites at him and Zack swings his blade at the monster "Take it!" He yells as he swings his sword into the incoming face of the Blood Taste but the monster catches the blade in between its teeth and Zack and the monster go in a toggle war. "Hey let go!" Zack grunted as he tries to pull his blade out of the monsters teeth. Kunsel hearing his friend's distress swings his blade around at the monster that was holding onto Zack's blade but upon turning his back the second Blood Taste lunged toward its turned prey! Rike's eyes narrowed in disappointment seeing as how Kunsel forgets about his opponent and attacking Zack's, who would cover Kunsel from the Blood Taste attacking him? Rike got his answer as he witnessed Zack release his left hand from his blade while still holding the Blood Taste at bay and aimed his left hand at the attacking Blood Taste that was going for Kunsel's blindside. Kunsel swinging his blade and slashing the Blood Taste off and away from Zack and Zack casting Fire into the face of Blood Taste 2 sending into the air and tumbling on the ground! This is what made Rike smile…

"_Not bad…so it seems they know teamwork, that's good." _ The 1st Class SOLDIER thought.

"Oh yeah!" Zack cheered pumping his fist while imagining a little victory song that went DA-DA-DA-DAAA-DAAA-DAA-DA-DA-DAAAAAAA! As Zack was in his little moment of triumph…

"Incoming," Rike said.

"Huh?" Zack was smacked away through the air by the Blood Taste that he blasted with the Fire spell, Zack landing into a tumble on the rocky ground. Kunsel meanwhile now had to deal with the Blood Taste he scarred as it now was standing before him growling for the scar it received as the other Blood Taste went after the downed Zack. "Guess I celebrated too soon!" Zack said to him as the half burnt faced Blood Taste was dashing toward him "How about this then!" Zack aimed his right hand that glowed a light green color casting Thunder at the monster that quickly side stepped avoiding that spell as it scarred the ground sending up pieces of rubble; however it kept up its approach on Zack. Being a being that didn't process Mako within him like members of SOLDIER using magic took energy out of you but Zack could still keep going, he's like a restless individual with a lot of energy. "Oh well," Zack said shrugging his shoulders with a smile on his face and ducked as the Blood Taste swung its right arm upon reach, Zack ducked under it and countered by smacking it atop the head with the blunt side of his blade putting it into a daze. The Blood Taste in its daze, probably seeing stars, looked like it was losing its footing as it wobbled and Zack took advantage kicked it off its feet and stabs his blade through the monsters neck killing it. Zack pulls out his blade spinning it in his right hand and puts it away on his back "Next!" Zack said aloud as he observed his friend Kunsel finishing off the Blood Taste he was facing off freezing its feet to the ground with Blizzard and simply slashed across the monster neck killing it. It made Zack think _"Why didn't I think of that?" _as he scratched the back of his head. He ran over to his friend congratulating him and the two bump fists "We're definitely going to ace this test and become SOLDIER!"

"You bet Zack!" Kunsel said with a smile.

"You two sound very confident…" Rike said grabbing their attention.

"That was no problem! We're going to ace this test and we'll become SOLDIER in no time! It won't take me long to reach 1st!" Zack claimed.

"Oh and why is that?"

"Because I have a dream,"

"_A dream…"_ Rike remembered that question Sephiroth asked him five years ago, he didn't have an answer then but part of Rike's dream was being like Sephiroth defeating his mentor and becoming what he call a SOLDIER Legend. To him that wasn't even the big one of his dreams…what was his TRUE dream? To become like Sephiroth? To be recognized by proving himself as a person? "A dream…?" Rike asked Zack.

"Yeah and nothing is going to stop me or Kunsel from reaching out dreams!" Zack said proudly.

"What is your dream…?" Rike asked now interested "To become 1st?"

"No that's not my dream…" Zack said.

"Then what is your dream?"

"My dream is to become a hero!"

Rike was amused at these…dreams? He did recall when he was brought into SOLDIER by Sephiroth taken before Director Lazard and was asked about a dream…this brought him back to Sephiroth's question years ago…

"_**Do you have a dream?" Sephiroth asked suddenly.**_

"_**A dream…?"**_

"_**Yes…a dream…"**_

"_**What does having a dream have anything to do with me becoming stronger?"**_

"_**A friend of mine once said that if one wanted to become a hero he had to have dreams and honor…"**_

"_**So you're saying in order for me to become stronger I have to have dreams and honor?"**_

"_**Perhaps…"**_

He then remembered the same question being asked by Director Lazard five years ago when he was still just a child…remembering his dream that he thought he forgotten...

"_**What is your dream Rike? To become a 1**__**st**__** like Sephiroth, to become a hero?" Lazard asked the ten year old that stood before his desk with the SOLDIER Hero standing beside him.**_

_**Rike looked up to Sephiroth who looked down at him and after a few seconds Rike smiled and looked back at Director Lazard. "No not exactly,"**_

"_**Oh?"**_

"_**My dream is to become an even powerful warrior than Sephiroth! And with that power and my abilities I will use it to protect the people! I won't be remembered as a hero…"**_

"_**Then what is it you want to be remembered as…?"**_

_**Sephiroth was also curios as much as he was amused, what did Rike want to be known and remembered as?**_

"_**I will become and be known as a SOLDIER Legend!" Rike said proudly with active Sharingan eyes.**_

_**Lazard smiled and sat back in his chair "Good," He said adjusting his glasses "unattainable dreams are the best kind."**_

_**Rike narrowed his eyes "It is attainable and I will seek to grasp it! I will make my dream a reality!"**_

"To become a hero…that is your dream?" Rike asked.

"Yeah and nothing is going to stop me from reaching that dream, I'm determined to go through anything to reach my dream!" Zack said.

"And why do you wish to become SOLDIER?" Rike asked looking at Kunsel.

"Well I mostly just want to become SOLDIER due to my mother…" Kunsel said.

"Your mother…?"

"You see it's just me and my mom who lives by herself now, and the only reason I wish to join SOLDIER is to help provide for her…"

"So it's about money then?"

"It may sound selfish but this is the reason why I wish to become SOLDIER, my determination to help her will get me there!"

Rike gave a small smirk…determination…they had a lot of it within them and no doubt that determination will get them far. "It's not selfish at all; it is a noble thing for any son to do for his family. You two have done well; I clearly see that your training within the academy served well…" Zack and Kunsel started to cheer to themselves believing that they passed "but you still have yet to fight me." The happiness that Zack and Kunsel felt was immediately brought to a new low as they looked at one another and then back at Rike…

"What?" Zack asked thinking he heard wrong.

"You've still yet to fight me."

"But you're a 1st!" Kunsel said "Sure we beat those monsters but fighting you?"

"Now you're talking! Bring it on!" Zack said excited.

"Zack!"

"Come on Kunsel we can do this!" Zack said drawing his blade once again "Besides this could be great battle experience!"

"You're crazy…" Kunsel said drawing his blade as well.

"Now both of you!" Rike pointed his blade at the two SOLDEIER candidates "Come at me; show me the strength of your dreams and resolve!"

Zack and Kunsel charged the SOLDIER 1st Class with their blades held firm in their hands; they then jumped in the air with their blades held high above their heads with Rike wondering how the hell they can jump that high? He pushed that thought aside and brought up his blade in a horizontal angle blocking the two blades of Zack and Kunsel! He held them up in the air for a second until he swung them over his shoulder sending them through the air, luckily they both landed on their feet although Kunsel skidded back along the dirt rocky ground coming to a stop. The SOLDIER 1st Class turning to them…

"Zack did you see that?" Kunsel asked obviously amazed.

"Yeah I did, he blocked and held us with his blade with one hand…" Zack said with that smile ever present on his face "So this is the strength of SOLDIER!"

Rike stabbed his blade in the ground next to him and started performing hand seals of Serpent, Ram, Monkey, Bore, Horse, and then Tiger. He took a deep breath gathering chakra within the center of his chest and blew out a torrent of fire toward Zack and Kunsel _"Fire Element: Fireball!" _If you wanted to see the reaction on Zack and Kunsel's faces then it was something like this…

"HOLY GAIA HE'S A DRAGON!" Zack yelled in a panic with eyes as wide as dinner plates, Kunsel in the same state as the two evade jumping away out of the fireball's path! Rike stops blowing the flame and watched the burning path of fire, Zack was looking at them like holy shit "What sort of Materia is that?"

"I don't think that was from any Materia Zack!" Kunsel yelled from the other side of the flames as they picked themselves up and Kunsel aimed his open hand at the flame in front of him and used the spell Blizzard to freeze a wall of fire into ice.

"Nice thinking Kunsel!"

Kunsel tackled his way through the block of melted ice joining back together with Zack "Thanks!"

"Not bad…" Rike said as Zack and Kunsel charged toward him planning on attacking him in close combat with their swords making Rike grab his blade pulling it out of the ground was on the defensive as Zack and Kunsel attacked him as a team making take steps back as they proceeded forward. To Rike their sword strikes seemed to move slowly to him as blocked, parried, or evaded each strike they threw at him! Rike then countered Zack's swing of his blade by ducking under it and delivering an elbow to his chest forcing him to stagger back almost losing his balance; Kunsel took advantage and swung his blade at the 1st Class SOLDIER. However Rike predicted this and flipped himself horizontally over Kunsel's blade and delivered a single kick to Kunsel's face sending him into the ground! Zack saw the opening and quickly recovered swinging his blade at Rike who flipped himself above in the air over Zack's blade over the cadet's shoulder reaching down grabbing his shoulder grasping it! Zack had a feeling what was coming as Rike spun him around in a complete 360 before slamming him into the ground so hard making him rebound! Zack seemed to recover from pain rather quickly as Rike watched him roll away from him, flip back into three cartwheels back onto his feet. With his blade in his grasp he used Thunder Materia, his hand glows a light green, and grasps his blade shooting thunder through it. The result was Zack now having a Thunder Blade as Rike watched the blue arching thunder course around it _"Clever…" _Rike thought as he held out his hand pointing his finger and gestured for him to come taunting him.

"Try this!" Zack yelled as he charged toward the SOLDIER 1st letting his blade cut through the ground leaving behind a scar. He swung his blade reaching striking distance striking his blade with Rike's breaking through, the High Frequency Blade breaking in half! Zack smirked but that soon vanished as quickly as it came when Rike and his blade dispersed into a flock of cawing crow, the crows flying all around his form making it look like he were in the center of a tornado only one of crows! Rike seemed to suddenly appear in front of him face to face surprising him and kicked him out of the flock of crows through the air and soon met with the ground!

Kunsel got back up on his feet and what he saw next seemed odd to him…Rike just standing there holding some hand seal while Zack seemed to just be standing there with half way opened eyes, like he were in some sort of hypnosis? _"What's up with Zack? First he was charging thunder through his blade and then suddenly stopped?" _Kunsel wondered. Kunsel was right in one thing, Zack was in an illusion. When it happened was when Rike pointed his finger and taunted him to bring it, but Kunsel didn't know that. "I'm coming Zack!" Kunsel yelled out to him and ran toward his friend to help him but somewhere in the back of his mind a voice said DUCK! He obeyed his conscious and avoided the High Frequency Blade belonging none other than SOLDIER 1st Class Rike? Kunsel went into and recovered in a roll back to his feet facing another Rike? He looked to Rike standing twenty yards from Zack and then to the one in front of him? "What the hell? There are two?" How was Rike doing this? Was it some sort of special Materia? What's going on?

"You seemed confused cadet…" Shadow Clone Rike said.

"How are you here…?" Kunsel asked pointing at the Shadow Clone and then pointed to the real Rike "And there?" The Shadow Clone didn't seem to answer as it dashed toward Kunsel, Kunsel mimicking the same action as they both met clashing and locking blades!

Meanwhile Zack trapped within Rike's illusion, him completely oblivious to it, was clashing blades with Rike as the SOLDIER appeared to be blocking his strikes in a cool and calm way which is something he adopted from his mentor. Rike backed his face away narrowly avoiding another slash Zack delivered to him and countered with his own swinging his blade into Zack's who blocked, but the strength put behind him made him slide back on his feet. The two stared "Man your good!" Zack complimented. Looking out from the corner of his eye he sees Kunsel on the ground unconscious.

"I am a 1st for a reason…" Rike said.

"So what do you think so far?" Zack asked.

"Your ability you mean?"

"Yeah, so have we made the grade yet?"

"I'll admit you have impressive sword combat ability as well as your firend and you can be clever…in moments…"

"Hey what's that supposed to mean?"

"You bashed a Blood Taste atop the head." Rike deadpanned. "This isn't a game..."

"It worked though didn't it?"

"Yes…it did."

The two engaged in battle of swords once again as Rike has been blocking all of Zack's strikes holding his blade in his right hand, the SOLDIER 1st caught Zack's blade from above blocking with his sword and delivered a kick to Zack's chest sending him back into the dirt. Amazingly to Rike the cadet got back on his feet attacking him with a battle cry _"He doesnt give up does he?" _Rike wondered as he blocked all of Zack's strikes once again "It's pointless..." Rike said as he continued to block all of Zack's strikes "just give up!" He said delivering a kick once again to Zack's chest sendin him back sliding across dirt. He was once again impressed as Zack picked himself back up to his own feet _"His resolve is stronger than I originally thought..."_

"Never!" Zack said activating the supplied Fire Materia, slamming it into his blade as the blade was now coursing with fire around it.

"What?" Rike asked with narrowed eyes.

"Never...tell me to GIVE UP!" Zack yelled charging the SOLDIER 1st once again seeing the smile that appeared on his superiors face. As soon as Zack was close enough he swung his Fire Blade clashing with Rike's who blocked and saw the wide eyed look Rike was giving him until he smiled once again, Zack's Fire Blade broke through and slammed Rike into the ground creating a exsplosion of smoke and scattering debris. Coughing can be heard within the cloud of dirt and as it clears up the source of it was from none other than Zack Fair, he then noticed the condition Rike was in and didn't seem alive and begun to panick. "Oh man what have I done? I think I killed him?"

"No you didn't..." Rike's voice said.

Zack looked over his shoulder seeing Rike standing there with not a single scratch on him like nothing ever happend, confused as he was he looked back at the body only to see that it was gone? "What just happend?" Zack asked confused as Rike brought down the illusion he put Zack in and Zack next thing he knew found himself standing looking toward Rike who brought his hands down from a hand seal he had formed. "Ok I'm really confused...?" Rike just gave him a small smile with closed eyes.

Meanwhile Kunsel was currently locked in blades with Shadow Clone Rike with sweat coming down his brow, the SOLDIER 1st seeming to have none at all not even tired...

"What's wrong cadet...are you feeling tired?" Shadow Clone Rike taunted. Kunsel holding Rike with his all "If your this weak then maybe you shouldn't have thought to join SOLDIER in the first place? You should have stayed home with the little kittens while this place, SOLDIER, is a den only for the lions!"

"Shut up!" Kunsel demanded as he pushed Rike away with all his might. "I wont give up!"

"You sure about that...?" SC Rike asked leaning his blade atop his right shoulder.

"There's no way I'm going to give up! Zack would give up for his dream and nither will I!" Kunsel shouted.

"But you dont have a dream...?"

"I already told you that I am doing all this for my family! Because of that is the reason I will NEVER give up!"

"Are you sure about that...?"

"Of course I am!"

"Very well then..." SC Rike said before he poofed up in smoke. Kunsel looking around for his opponent and sighted movement from Zack who seemed to have come out of hypnosis and ran over to him.

"Zack are you ok?" Kunsel asked.

"Yeah I'm fine but I swear I drove him through the ground just now?" Zack said. Suddenly all around them the environment seemed to break down into pieces before their very eyes and they found themselves back in the VRT room also taking notice of the goggles they had on. Taking them both off as well as the SOLDIER 1st who was walking toward them...

"Wait here and put away the Materia that was supplied to you," He ordered walking past them as they parted letting him through "company rules." he added, they didnt take notice of the smile he had on his face as he left the Training room.

"So do you think we passed?" Kunsel asked Zack.

"We'll just have to wait here until he comes back I guess?" Zack said and started performing some squats.

Rike was back in the SOLDIER Director's office walking toward his desk who looked to have been waiting for him as Lazard was sat back in his chair...

"So...what do you think of them?" Lazard asked the silent Rike as he gave the Director of SOLDIER a small smile.

Rike returned to the SOLDIER Floor and into the Training room grabbing Zack and Kunsel's attention who were silent as the grave, he motioned them forward they did so "What you two showed me was not only your strength in battle but the strength of your determination, your dreams are just as powerful...I have no doubt," He pulled out two SOLDIER Badges as they hung from key chains that would be attached to thier belts "that you two would make a fine addition to SOLDIER." Rike sees thier faces as they were blank at first stareing at the badges and then at him "Take them now or I'm going to change my mind and send you back to the academy!" Rike said a little annoyed and without hesitation they took them from his hands "You pass, congratulations and welcome to SOLDIER as well as the company." He watched as the two cheered and Zack giving Kunsel a hug who looked like needed air.

"We're SOLDIER! We're SOLDIER! SOLDIER, SOLDIER, SOLDIER! I'll become a hero in no time!" Zack said aloud happily.

"Now its time for the operation..." Rike said making Zack stop his celebration releasing Kunsel.

"Operation...?"

"Yes, your Mako Infusion, and i'll tell you right now...it will hurt."

* * *

**And that's the end of Chapter 1! Hope you liked it!**


	3. Chapter 2 New Freinds and a fear

" " Talking

_" " _Thought

_**" " Flashback or character remembering spoken words**_

**" " Talking over communications**

**I have returned with another chapter and it took me awhile for this one honestly, I'd like to thank all those for favoriting my story so far and it makes me feel good that you enjoy it! Thank you so much! Please dont be afraid to review and let me know if I made any mistakes so that I can go back and correct it, I am trying to better myself. :)**

* * *

It had been since yesterday that Rike passed both Zack and Kunsel making them official members of the company and SOLDIER's, third rates that is. In all honesty every single one of the twenty candidates passed for the idea of only ten being able to pass was yet another part of the test, sort of like mind torture to see how they react under pressure during the test. Rike was hanging around on the SOLDIER Floor just having his back to the wall, arms crossed, and his right foot over the left as he leaned against the wall, his eyes closed and looked to be in deep concentration. As a SOLDIER be it 2nd or 3rd that passed by they would just stare at him wondering how one so young as he was so strong to be a 1st but the word was out since yesterday that he was indeed SOLDIER 1st. The rumor of him being the apprentice of Sephiroth still went on however as some didn't believe it not seeing Sephiroth as one to take in a student. It was also sort of frightening to see someone his age a 1st Class SOLDIER…from the members of SOLDIER's knowledge there had been no one so young with the rank since Sephiroth's day. Back then Sephiroth became a 1st at a young age as well and was the only then but seeing Rike now he was the second person in history to ever become a 1st so young like Sephiroth. It sounded as if there were going to be another Sephiroth in the future!

"Hey there man!" The cheery sounding voice of Zack SOLDIER 3rd Class greeted stopping in front of the 1st.

"What is it Fair?" Rike asked using Zack's surname.

"I have a question about yesterday,"

"And that is?"

"How were you able to use magic without Materia?"

"I beg pardon?" Rike asked opening his eyes.

"Well you were able to spit out a flamethrower of fire at me and Kunsel! I'll tell you man that was not only scary but also awesome! So what Materia did you use?"

"I don't use Materia…"

"Then how did you spit fire like a fire breathing dragon?" Zack asked obviously confused.

"I'm someone that doesn't need Materia to cast spells, although what you saw wasn't magic but a technique I perfected when I was younger." Rike explained.

"Must have taken a lot of Mako energy to do it then huh?" Zack asked.

"No, not Mako for Mako would be used to cast magic through Materia for members of SOLDIER. It's thanks to the Mako that is infused in our bodies that allows us to cast Magic more frequently and effectively. People that don't have Mako can still use Magic but would take a lot out of them except when it comes to certain types of Materia such as some being able to make you feel stronger or promote a certain skill such as being more effective in Stealing." Now Rike was getting a little off topic and went back to on topic "The technique I used against you and Kunsel came from another source of energy inside my body called chakra…"

"Catra?"

"Chakra!" Rike corrected "C-H-A-K-R-A," Rike spelt out for him. "For short I call these techniques Jutsu, these jutsu require hand seals and necessary amount of chakra to perform the jutsu. When I'm performing jutsu I'm using the chakra in my body, not the Mako…"

"So you basically have TWO sources of separate energy! Chakra and Mako, one for jutsu and the other for magic?" Zack asked amazed.

"That is basically what I explained…" Rike deadpanned with a bead of sweat going down the back of his head.

"So hold on a second? If you have Mako and you say that you don't use Materia then how do you perform magic?" Zack asked. To be honest Rike was wondering that as well for years now…

"Honestly I don't know but yes I can use magic without Materia, the Mako infused within my body seems to have only doubled the amounts of my chakra levels which are a big plus for me." Rike said.

"That's just awesome! Now tell me how you made yourself turn into birds!" Zack asked obviously excited.

"Crows…" Rike corrected "Aren't you on assignment or something?" Rike asked.

"Just got back from one, although it was lame…just had to deal with some Worms in the Slums below under the Sector 6 plate is all? I want to go on the bigger more dangerous assignments, the exciting ones!"

"The assignments you receive are what the Director of SOLDIER believes you can handle upon your level of skill and you can't just go up and ask for one either if you were thinking of doing so."

"Then the next one that comes around I'm turning the others way," Zack said.

"You can't, you're not allowed." Rike said.

"What, why not?"

"2nd and 3rd Class members of SOLDIER cannot deny their given assignments, no questions asked for they are company rules. Now if you were a 1st like me then you would get special privileges such as denying a given assignment…"

"For real, what other special privileges do 1st's get?"

"Well 1st's are not only able to deny assignments but we are also allowed to wear whatever cloths we want so long as you wear the symbol of our group, for instance the SOLDIER belt I wear. You would also be allowed to make any changes and designs to your uniform and you don't have to wear a helmet, you will also have accesses to the Materia, Training, and Data rooms as well as some levels of the Science Department and Weapons Department." Rike tutored.

"Wow! Don't see any use in the Weapons and Science Departments with me you know?"

"I found use for it…" Rike said as he drew his sword from its sheath and held it out to his right. "See this sword…?"

"Yeah…?" Zack answered.

"With the help of my mentor, a friend that works in both departments of Science and Weapons, we created this sword together…the High Frequency Sword." Rike said letting Zack admire it and then sheathed it back in its scabbard slowly.

"So what's it like being 1st?" Zack asked curious of what being a 1st Class SOLDIER was like.

"It's not a cake walk…1st Class SOLDIER's are the elites of SOLDIER and as such you are given more taxing assignments by the company, compared to me you got it easy."

"There a bunch of 1st's here?"

"Many people believe so but that is not true, think of SOLDIER 1st's as a small elite group…" Rike revealed.

"Really…? That's a surprise because I thought there would be a bunch of you guys?"

"The 1st Class is the best of the best among SOLDIER…but there is one SOLDIER that is better than all of us…"

"Who…?" Zack asked.

"The SOLDIER Hero Sephiroth obviously," Rike deadpanned.

"Oh yeah! I've always wanted to meet him, that guy is a hero in the making!" Zack said with a big smile.

"He IS a hero Fair; the clue is in his alias SOLDIER **Hero**…" Rike said with a single twitch of his left eye.

"The last I heard of Sephiroth was with the media talking about how Sephiroth was tracking this guy called The Hydra," Zack said.

"Oh…?" Rike said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, that Hydra guy went around destroying small villages…I'll tell you even my hometown of Gongaga was fearful that we would be next. Then we hear that he was captured, defeated by some kid handing him over to Sephiroth?"

Rike only closed his eyes once again remembering that horrible night as the memories flashed in his mind, hearing the cries of agony from the people and seeing them cut down as blood sprayed everywhere, buildings on fire and his dead friends flashing in his head. Zack didn't notice but if he were to look at his hands he would see that they tighten…he was still angry that he didn't get to kill him…how much he wanted to that night.

"I didn't think he was the leader of AVALANCHE though, that was a mind blower but also turning out to be a **former** leader of Wutai and not its actual leader was the disappointment. Could have pretty much ended the war if he was and Mako excavation would have continued in Wutai lands," Zack added.

"Yes, I suppose it would've…" Rike said.

"I'm concerned right now for that kid though,"

This caught Rike's interest as he opens his eyes once again as Zack grabbed his attention "Oh and what would make you worry so much about him?" Rike asked a little curious of his answer.

"Well as far as I'm concerned that kid I'm sure from then to even today to AVALANCHE is their Most Wanted, Hydra's downfall was a huge blow to them then…"

"Didn't last long…every leader that falls there is always another to take his place," Rike said "and I wouldn't worry about "the kid" Fair, even if they tried something against him today it would only end with THEIR lives."

"How can you be so sure…?" Zack asked.

"Trust me…I'm sure…" Rike assured.

"If you say so…?" Zack said.

"Don't you have somewhere to be Fair?" Rike said wanting to get rid of him, it's not like he was trying to be mean it's just that he likes his moments to himself.

"No assignment for me today, I'm going into the city!" Zack said excited.

"That depends, are you sure you have a clear schedule?"

"Yeah, already checked?"

"You sure you won't get lost? You are new here as of yesterday?"

"I know this city like the back of my hand!"

"How is that possible?"

"I memorized a map so don't worry! I won't get lost!" Zack assured with a smile.

"Then go,"

Zack began making his way down the halls, his destination the elevators only to stop and turn around on heel toward Rike who was already irritated. "Do SOLDIER 1st's have to wear helmets?"

"Do you see me wearing one? I'm pretty sure that I told you that 1st's don't need to, what do you think?" Rike asked really irritated now, it was even in the sound of his voice _"Did I make a mistake passing him?" _He wondered.

"Ok but one more question!"

"GET OUR OF HERE!" Rike snapped and Zack sped off through the halls leaving a trail of smoke behind in his wake.

"He is so…annoying."

Rike went on his way walking the halls, as he was he was being watched by another SOLDEIR 1st who was looking around a corner…the SOLDEIR 1st having fiery colored hair wearing a crimson red coat with a book called LOVELESS within his left hand. The SOLDIER 1st closed his book with a curious look as a smirk adorned his face following after Rike. As the Crimson SOLDIER kept following him he eventually followed him throughout the SOLDIER Floor to his room and not to his surprise it was next to Sephiroth's, he waited for Rike to come out and when he exited his room he was wearing a black cloak, with a hood that was down as the color underneath the cloak was red, concealing his outfit. The only thing of his outfit that he can see was the collars of Rike's shirt sticking out and his black sandals. The Crimson SOLDIER followed Rike all the way down to the lobby of the Shin-Ra Building and upon reaching the exit he saw Rike bring the hood of his cloak over atop his head concealing his face.

He was now walking amongst the populace of Midgar now exiting Sector 0 and now entering Sector 7, this plate was full of life but that was nothing compared to Sector 8. This was Rike's first time walking amongst the city populace and his first time in the city streets, someone here their first time would get lost but not Rike due to him going on missions with Sephiroth. Every time they would go on a mission it was usually far away from Midgar and Shin-Ra so they were taken by helicopter and during such Rike would look down upon the city as they flew over it, he had it all pretty much mapped down in his head by now and Sharingan helped a lot with that. Rike stopped next to a fountain that was within the Sector 7 plate and was looking around amongst the people and that's when he saw them. Who did he see? Believe it or not it were those same group of kids from 5 years ago that accompanied Dave calling him a hero, they were still being led by Dave and they were older of course now within the range of 14 to 15. Rike was stareing so much that he was getting their attention and he looked away just in time and started walking away not wanting to draw attention.

"Is it just me or was that kid in the hood watching us?" A girl of the group asked. She was 15 and had long black hair that she had tied up in a single ponytail. She wore knee high black shorts, white shoes, and a dark blue turtle neck shirt.

"I don't know Jill…but for some reason I feel like we should follow him?" Dave said. There was a feeling of familiarity around that kid for some reason?

"Are you sure that's a good idea Dave?" The second taller boy of the group asked. This 15 year old individual wore blue pants, black shoes, and a red hoodie over his brown colored hair.

"Yeah Alex, I just have a familiar feeling is all?"

"How do we know he's not dangerous…?" Another girl of the group asked but only she was the shortest of the group and the youngest. She had brown hair as well that was shoulder length wearing brown shorts, yellow shoes, and a white shirt.

"Maybe we should listen Kate Dave, she could be right," Jill said.

"Then we'll just keep our distance, he'll have to take off that hood sometime." Dave said. "What do you say John?" Dave asked the third boy of the group who wore black pants, a blue shirt, and pair of black shoes and had silver short hair.

"I'm up for it." John said.

"Alright then let's go…" Dave said and began leading the group of Jill, Alex, Kate, and John following after and tailing Rike.

So far they have been following the Hooded Boy for 20 minutes as he seemed to be exploring the city. They watched as he stopped getting something to eat from a stand on the street and they were able to get a good look at how much Gil he had and wow! The other thing they noticed is that he didn't seem to talk much as when asked what he wanted he simply pointed and when taking the food he was told to have a nice day and he simply nodded. Another 10 minutes went by and the group of five kept tailing the Hooded Boy until he was walking into an area of construction that was still going on in the part of the city, within the Sector 6 plate. This area was quiet as the workers were working in another sector of the city, the five children led by Dave came to ducking behind some metal beams that were stacked up as they all had their heads peeked over watching. Rike suddenly came to a stop in the middle of the area making the kids wondering why?

"Why is he stopping here of all places?" John asked in a low whisper.

"I have no idea?" Dave said in same volume.

"Maybe he's meeting someone here?" Jill said.

"You can come out now!" Rike called out making the kids freeze and freak out as well as duck behind their cover.

"How did he hear us?" Alex asked in a whisper.

"I don't know?" Dave replied.

"There is no point in hiding anymore! I knew you've been following me since the beginning!" Rike said.

"The jig is up! Let's get out of here!" Kate suggested.

"You really are aware of your surroundings," A new voice said making the kids slowly peek back over their cover. Rike turned around looking in the direction of the source of the voice and saw a man wearing a crimson red coat walk out of the shadows. From looking at this man's eyes he had Mako Eyes and it was an obvious sign that he was SOLDIER, the man stopping 20 yards from the hooded Rike.

"Who are you?" Rike asked "From the color of your eyes you're SOLDIER,"

"Yes, I am SOLDIER 1st Class Genesis Rhapsodos." Genesis introduced. "You are his apprentice right, Sephiroth's?"

"Sephiroth has an apprentice?" Jill asked her friends.

"I didn't know he gives lessons?" Alex said.

"I don't think he does Alex…" John said.

"So what if I am Sephiroth's apprentice." Rike said.

"I was only curious to meet you…and," Genesis then pulled out a summoning Materia and it glow a red color as it formed into a glowing red sword, when the light died down it revealed a Rapier and even the blade itself was red like his coat and gloves "to test your strength." Genesis said pointing Rapier at Rike and like Rike he appeared to be right handed.

"They're going to fight?" Kate asked worried.

"Will you stand and fight…SOLDIER 1st Class…Rike?" Genesis asked revealing to Rike that he knew his name; the look he got from the hooded Rike was a glare with narrowed eyes.

"Did he say Rike?" Dave asked thinking that he was hearing things. No one had seen Rike since the day after the attack of The Hydra five years ago?

"The same boy that defeated that man who attacked our village five years ago?" Jill asked.

"Who told you my name?" Rike asked suspiciously.

"Let's just say I hear things…" Genesis said.

"You hear a lot then…" Rike said bringing down his hood revealing his face and parted the right side of his cloak, grabbing the hilt of his blade and slowly pulling it out of its scabbard. His blade then had a blue electrical current course through it for a mere second that was as quickly gone. Genesis only continued to smile; he was going to see what the apprentice of his rival could do. If this boy defeated The Hydra then this fight should be entertaining.

Meanwhile Dave and the others couldn't believe it! There he was, the same boy that defeated The Hydra five years ago, the same boy that protected their village from monster attacks, the same boy that vanished…the same boy they used to bad mouth…their village's hero. Now he was part of SOLDIER, a 1st Class and was the apprentice of Sephiroth!

"That's Rike…!" Jill was still surprised seeing him again; she thought that he ran away from the village? As she was looking at his face from this angle she couldn't help but feel her cheeks start to tingle, he was handsome to her eyes. _"He sure has grown…"_

"Careful Jill I think I see your jaw on the floor." Alex said obviously knowing that Jill was likening what she was seeing.

"She's not the only one Alex," John said getting his attention as they can see the same look on Kate. Looks like Jill and Kate were crushing on Rike already. Pray for Rike that this isn't the start of an official fan club.

Rike and Genesis looked to be in a stare off, both or their eyes not leaving the others as one would wonder who would make the first move…it was Genesis making the first move dashing toward Rike who mimicked his action dashing toward Genesis! To the kids watching they moved fast alone on their feet as they already met one another in center swinging their blades as they clash and lock blades, the two SOLDIER exchanging a stare.

"Show me the power of SOLDIER!" Genesis said.

"_Oh I'll show you power!" _Rike said within his thoughts. The two broke away from one another and Genesis was upon Rike, the crimson coated man delivering a horizontal strike and Rike did the obvious thing evading the blade by flipping himself horizontally as he saw the red blade go right over his face! As Rike was spinning himself he delivered a kick to an opening upon Genesis but the fellow 1st was quick enough to block Rike's kick with the blunt side of his Rapier! Rike however used it to kick himself off the blade and into the air going in a backflip landing on the ground as the two now had distance between them once again.

"I'll give you this, your quick on your feet." Genesis said.

"So are you," Rike said.

"But surely you can do better?" Genesis taunted and Rike looked like he was going to attack but was confused when Rike aimed his left hand at him? _"What is he doing?"_ Genesis wondered but he wasn't going to take this boy no less seriously. He then watched with interest as Rike left hand started to crackle sounding like the chirps of a thousand birds…the next thing that surprised him was an electrical blade extended toward him! Genesis quickly sidestepped evading the electrical blade as it managed to nick through the black shoulder armor atop his right shoulder and stabbed into the wall of a building behind him, the electrical blade pierced through the symbol of the company. For Rike's sake it's a good thing this place was one still under construction as no civilians occupied this area. Genesis stare the electrical chirping blade trailing with his eyes all the way to Rike who had a smirk on his face…

"_My Lightning Spear missed…" _But really Rike didn't intend to kill Genesis as he knew the fellow 1st would evade the attack, he wasn't planning on getting in trouble by the company and especially Sephiroth that he accidently killed another SOLDIER.

"Impressive and curious abilities indeed," Genesis said with a smile adorning his face, he already like this kid and watched as the Lightning Spear re-extends itself back to Rike's lightning chirping engulfed hand that slowly fades. "Now it my turn…" Genesis waved his hand in front of himself and now Rike is the surprised one as he sees Genesis casting out multiple glowing balls of red energy and surround him above! Rike looked to Genesis who had his left palm aimed at him and quickly brought it in a fist commanding the balls of energy to fire down upon him! They did as commanded and all of them looked to hit Rike and the result being an explosion of fiery like energy, Genesis watched as it cleared up while the kids that were watching were put at awe at the power. When it cleared Rike was surrounded by what looked to Genesis glowing purple energetic ribs acting like a shield and his Mangekyo Sharingan eyes. "Very curious…" Genesis said, Rike taking notice of a crack on one of the ribs of his Susano'o telling him that attack was powerful and this was a powerful guy.

"_Well he isn't 1__st__ for no reason…" _Rike thought as he deactivated Susano'o and the Mangekyo Sharingan.

The two charged one anther once again clashing their blades, Dave and the group watching as the metallic clashes echoed, and sparks flew! To Dave and the others it looked like a dance, the only difference between a dance and this was that this "dance" between Genesis and Rike was deadly.

"Are you guys seeing what I'm seeing?" Jill asked.

"What…?" Dave asked.

"They're both…smiling?"

"Smiling…?"

"It's like their enjoying it?"

They all focused looking harder and indeed as the battle of swords between the two SOLDIERS' went on they indeed had a smile on their faces, they were truly enjoying this deadly dance. Rike broke away from Genesis cartwheeling backwards and when he was the appropriate distance away he pressed his right pointer and middle fingers under the wrist of his left glove where a symbol was. As he channeled his chakra through his fingers into the seal there was a poof of smoke and when it cleared there was a stainless deadly giant shuriken! The four blades of the Windmill Shuriken looked more curved and sharpened, he then made his left hand glow that familiar green color showing he was using Magic and coursed the Thundara spell through it. The result was an arching Thundara Windmill Shuriken as he started spinning it within his left hand and Genesis assumed he was going to throw it at him. He was proven wrong as Rike dashed toward him with one spinning Thundara Windmill Shuriken in one hand and his High Frequency Sword in the other. Genesis was the one on the defensive as he started blocking strikes from Rike's weapons while backing away and after blocking about more than a dozen of Rike's combined strikes Genesis swung his blade knocking his Thundara Windmill Shuriken out of his hands. The weapon spinning through the air with no one to stop it and the worst part was that it was heading toward the hidden audience that immediately panicked. But Rike flipped away from Genesis putting distance between them he looked to the Thundara Windmill and aimed his left hand at it. He wasn't exactly telling the truth to Zack when he said that he didn't use any Materia; he used one Materia called Gravity. Yes he can cast Magic without the use of Mako but he didn't know how to cast the Gravity spell as one would have to seek the knowledge to learn how. He focused on the Thundara Windmill and his hand glows and concentrating the Mako on the weapon, but really for the Gravity Materia within it, the Thundara Windmill stopped in its tracks before the hidden group! The weapon still arching with the Thundara spell as it continued to spin and stayed afloat in midair thanks to the Gravity Materia within.

"Clever idea…" Genesis said complementing Rike as the young SOLDIER commanded the Thundara Windmill back to him, Rike flipping himself above the weapon catching within the center of the weapon stopping its spinning and landing back on his feet as the effects of the Thundara spell faded away. Genesis held his weapon aside lazily "Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess…We seek it thus and take to the sky's…Ripples form on the water's surface, the wondering soul knows no rest…"

"What…?" Rike was wondering what the hell he was saying but he knew it was some sort of poetry.

"LOVELESS Act 1…" Genesis said.

"Sounds gay…?"

Next thing Rike knew Genesis was in front of his and his head looked to be bigger, he had angry eyes, and his hair was a blazing inferno as he yelled "ITS NOT GAAAAY!" as Rike's face was a wide dinner plate sized eyes as his hair blew! You know what imagine a cowering chibi Rike as a towering Genesis stood tall directing his anger upon him…LOL! Genesis immediate calmed as his head was normal sized and went professional completely calm as he pulled out his favorite novel LOVELESS holding up as if presenting, Rike's hair still a mess. "LOVELESS is a masterpiece created by a genius and said novel to have secrets within its writing…" Genesis said with closed eyes completely forgetting about their fight.

"So what now…is this fight over or something?" Rike asked. He was standing before Genesis with a Windmill Shuriken in one hand and his High Frequency Sword in the other, Genesis with his Rapier and in his other LOVELESS…and they were both just standing there?

Genesis's Rapier was then engulfed in red light as it shrunk into the summoning Materia Genesis processed, his Rapier put away. "I'm impressed," He said as Rike made the Windmill Shuriken fold up and spun his blade then sheathing it in its scabbard "You truly are Sephiroth's apprentice…you possess curious abilities, no wonder he chose you."

"_That's not the only reason…" _Rike thought. He remembered Sephiroth saw Rike reminded him of himself as Rike made his Windmill Shuriken vanish in a poof of smoke that when cleared was gone from his grasp.

"The status of 1st was given to you for a reason," Genesis said and Rike decided to take that as a compliment to his abilities. "Let's keep this battle between us as our secret…I'm sure Sephiroth wouldn't appreciate that you had a battle within the city…"

Rike shuddered at that, he didn't want to face Sephiroth's wrath of punishment…whatever it was? "Agreed," Rike said. He watched as Genesis began walking away off in another direction…

"See you around SOLDIER 1st Class…Rike."

"Yeah…see you." He waited for Genesis to be completely gone from the area and shifted his gaze upon the area of the hidden audience having sensed their presence during the fight. His gaze cold and menacing that Dave and the others freaked. "The five of you come out! I know your there…"

"_How does he know?" _They all thought. The gang heard footsteps; it was obvious that Rike was walking their direction.

"Come out…NOW!" Rike stopped in his tracks when the hidden audience slowly revealed themselves from behind their cover. "What the hell are you kids doing here…this area of construction is restricted to all civilians except Shin-Ra personnel!"

"Sorry…" Jill said "We'll be leaving now then."

"Hold on," Dave said "don't you remember us?" He asked "It's me Dave…?"

"Dave as in Dave Zelman?" Rike asked referring to the same Dave five years ago.

"Yeah that's me!"

"What are you doing here?"

"I live here in Midgar now, like all the other survivors of our village?" Dave said.

"I know that, I meant what are you doing HERE?" Rike said asking what they were doing in a restricted area.

"Well we were…?" Kate began but Rike finished for her.

"You were all following me weren't you?"

"Well you looked suspicious and we decided to follow you…" Alex revealed.

"I don't appreciate being followed," Rike said walking toward them.

"So your SOLDIER didn't see that coming." John said and that's when Rike just walked right past them without saying a word as he brought up the hood of his cloak.

"Don't follow me…and get out of here."

"What's his problem…?" Alex asked as they watched the hooded Rike walking away from the area.

"Do you really have to ask that Alex? I mean when we were younger you guys did pick on him calling him names and other harsh things." Jill said.

"What have I said?" Alex asked as if insulted.

"If I remember one time you told him that he was the son of a whore…"

Alex remembered that and already he was starting to regret it "Oh yeah…I did…"

"You think he'd forgive us…?" John asked.

"I don't know…that's up to him…" Jill said.

Walking the streets of Midgar was a man, a man that was known by all as well as feared by Shin-Ra's enemies, a man that was considered legendary as well as a hero, a man that was trying to block out the screams of his fan girls of the Silver Elite.

"SEPHIROTH!" They all squealed and the SOLDIER Hero's left eye slightly twitched as he continued walking the streets ignoring them as shouted out requests of "Marry me!" or "Let's go out!" or "Bare my children!" He just kept walking with his eyes forward searching for his student, apprentice, his to be continued living legacy Rike. He had just got back today from assignment that took him longer than expected since yesterday. When he returned he immediately started looking for Rike wondering if he did what Sephiroth hoped for him to do besides staying in his room and training all day…that he would live a little. He wasn't in his room that was right next to his which was good seeing that he was up and about possibly within the Shin-Ra Building, he was called by Director Lazard and briefed on Rike's first assignment giving out the SOLDIER Exam to two fresh cadets that he passed becoming official members of SOLDIER. Sephiroth knew that he could trust Rike's judgment because the child was no fool and was good judge of character as well as being able to read people like an open book…well not everybody seeing as Rike seemed to be unable to read Sephiroth who didn't know that. When Lazard told him that he left the Shin-Ra Building thanks to camera feeds around within the building he felt relieved seeing as Rike took his suggestions to mind. But when he was told that he left wearing a cloak with a hood over his head he thought _"That boy…still unwilling to be a part of society that he covers his face." _And this was Rike's first time out in the city of Midgar. The SOLDIER Hero was brought out of his thoughts when he sighted Genesis coming his way and not surprisingly off to the side his own fan club that called themselves Red Leather yelling aloud "Genesis we love you!" This alone made Sephiroth have a sweat go down the back of his head _"I hope Rike doesn't go through with this…" _and then he thought maybe that was the possible reason for hiding his face? That was a big highly unlikely though…

"Sephiroth…?" Genesis greeted coming to a stop in front of his friend and rival.

"Genesis…?" Sephiroth greeted.

"I suppose you're looking for your apprentice Rike…?"

"Funny….I don't recall telling you his name or introducing him to you or you to him?"

"Let's just say I did a little digging…"

"And how did you meet him?" Sephiroth asked and then narrowed his eyes with a slight look of annoyance in them. "Was it a hello my name is this and that or was it an introduction with swords?"

Genesis was quiet "…...maaaaybeee?" He said with a small smile. This alone slightly annoyed Sephiroth; Genesis can just be childish sometimes. "Not a single scratch was on him Sephiroth I assure you,"

"So you're admitting that the two of you did fight…"

Genesis motioned his eyes looking up into the air with a raised left eyebrow as if thinking and then looked back a Sephiroth and said "Yes."

"In public Genesis?" Sephiroth asked a little upset as Rike accepted a match in the CITY and in PUBLIC!

"No, no, no he caught on to me following him…"

"You were following him?" Sephiroth asked in the middle of Genesis's sentence but Genesis kept going.

"…and led me into a restricted area of city construction off limits to citizens." Genesis finished.

"Where is he now Genesis?"

"I left first so I wouldn't exactly know. Your apprentice is definitely your apprentice Sephiroth."

"You didn't believe me? I told you and Angeal of his existence months ago?"

"I honestly thought you were lying because I didn't see you one to taking students." Genesis admitted.

"Oh go and read you're LOVELESS." Sephiroth said as took his leave walking around Genesis in search of Rike. Genesis chuckled to himself amused as he was going to take his leave but then remembered about Rike's abilities and wanted to ask Sephiroth about it. After calling out to him getting the SOLDIER Hero to stop in his tracks and come before him once again…

"While I was fighting Rike he used a strange technique of sorts…?" Genesis said.

"Oh…?"

"He brought up an ethereal looking skeletal structure around his form…like a rib cage's acting as a shield radiating a dark energy, what was that?" Genesis asked curios and amazed.

"What you saw Genesis was the very technique that defeated The Hydra, yes this is that boy, and that dark energy is what he calls his chakra but the feel of that energy is the measure of his hatred." Sephiroth said.

"Very interesting as well as amazing…" Genesis said _"It was even able to withstand my Homing." _He thought "I also took notice of his eyes…they were not as disturbing as his Susano'o but they were…crazy looking."

"In order for him to use Susano'o Rike would have to activate the second level of his ocular powers…" Sephiroth said.

"Ocular powers…?" Rike was starting to interest him a lot now; he is full of surprises isn't he?

"Yes…the stage of his ocular powers you saw was what he calls Mangekyo Sharingan but he doesn't use it often, only when he has to." Sephiroth explained.

"You say this Mangekyo is the second stage of his ocular powers?"

"The first is called plain and simple Sharingan but it is a level not to be taken lightly, it is Mangekyo that is the most deadly stage of his ocular powers. Hydra didn't stand a chance…from what I saw that night."

"Did you know that he can make an electrical spear that can stretch to 20 feet in length?" Genesis asked.

"No I didn't know that? At least not that he can stretch his Lightning Spear to 20 feet?" Sephiroth said.

"Well he put your Masamune to shame…in length that is." Genesis said.

"The size of one's sword doesn't matter Genesis."

"True..."

Back within Sector 7 was Rike walking amongst the crowd; it seemed that the number of people increased now as he was passing people by. In fact his heart rate started to increase…he started to sweat…he started to tremble…he started to breath but it was becoming short ones. He brought up his hands looking at them as they were trembling…his whole body he could feel shaking and he didn't like this. _"What's going on? What's happening to me?"_ Rike asked himself in his thoughts as he clenched the sides of his head with his hands and started looking around rapidly, even when a normal citizen accidently bumped into him he freaked backing away only to bump into another. Rike didn't want to be here anymore and began searching for a way out from the large crowds surrounding him…now he started to feel dizzy. He felt like he was going to break down any moment and then he felt someone's hands place atop his shoulders grasping them lightly? He looked up to his right from under his hood to see Sephiroth who started leading him away through the crowd as citizens that took notice of Sephiroth started taking pictures of him, well some, as he leads Rike to a nearby alley. Upon arriving within the alley Sephiroth sat Rike down gently against the wall of the building with his hands still on his apprentice's shoulders, even with this happening a crowd started to gain but was cut off when the familiar Genesis blocked their path ensuring no one would get by.

"Rike what's wrong?" Sephiroth asked with some concern in his voice.

"I-I-I can't breathe!"

"Calm down, take deep and slow breathes."

"I can't stop shaking?"

Sephiroth knew this wasn't good and as a Shin-Ra Trooper passed by Genesis ordered him to call for a chopper so as Rike can get medical attention right away, soon right outside the alley a medical chopper of the company was landing within the sector. Rike loaded onto a stretcher with oxygen provided to help him breath, Sephiroth joined as the chopper took off toward the Shin-Ra Building. Genesis watching from below as the chopper made its way for the Shin-Ra Building. Within the Shin-Ra Building Rike laid in medical with Sephiroth leaning against the wall beside him…looking at Rike wondering what was happening with Rike suddenly freaking out like that? Never in his years in training Rike did he ever see this? He averted his eyes from Rike to the door as it opens and enters Professor Hojo, Sephiroth may not like the man but he was the best doctor and scientist in the company. In fact he had asked for Hojo specifically for Rike's sake, this would also be the first time the doctor sees his apprentice.

"So this is Rike…the boy who defeated The Hydra, Public Enemy #1 to AVALANCHE, and the apprentice of the SOLDIER Hero?" Hojo said.

"What happened to him Hojo?"

"He has what is called Agoraphobia,"

"Agoraphobia?"

"Yes, it is the fear of a crowd…and not just a big one but a large one at that as well, the fear of leaving a safe place which is something he seems to not have?"

"What would cause him to have such a phobia?"

"A traumatic event that happened in his life…there are many factors that could cause this."

"_Traumatic event…" _Sephiroth thought and his thoughts went to the destruction of Rike's village or perhaps it could have been something that happened during Rike's years within the village? He would have to ask Rike…

"Perhaps it was the destruction of his home at the hands of The Hydra or his self-isolation from society for so long?" Hojo said his thoughts out aloud for Sephiroth to hear.

"_It's because of what happened that night he isolated himself…shut himself from the rest of the world…staying to the shadows." _Sephiroth thought. "Is there treatment…?"

"Fortunately there is, there is medication and he can take psychotherapy and there are specific kinds of it."

"The medication…?"

"Expensive."

"I don't care I'll pay for it...Is there any other way to curing him of this phobia other than psychotherapy?"

"_Is Sephiroth growing attached to this boy…?" _Hojo wondered as this was not good…for him at least. "Very well then, I prescribe the appropriate meds to him. As for affective ways to curing him of the phobia there is him to confront this fear head on."

"Expose him to the very thing that could have been fatal…?"

"It can be fatal…but this is the most effective way if you don't want him on pills for the rest of his life."

With that said Hojo left the room to go and fetch the appropriate meds while at the same time as the door opened for the Hojo to leave their standing in the doorway in front of him was Sephiroth's friends Genesis and Angeal to Sephiroth's surprise. Genesis backed away giving a mock bow with his hands held apart, Angeal shaking his head at Genesis's childish manner and Hojo huffs and walks away. As Angeal walked in first he gave Genesis a light smack in the back of the head with him following sticking his tongue at the turned Angeal as the door closed behind them.

"Angeal…?" Sephiroth greeted as he continued to watch over Rike.

"Sephiroth…" Angeal greeted back while looking at Rike "So this is him…?"

"…..Yes this is Rike, SOLDIER 1st Class and to be the one to carry on my legacy."

"How is he?" Genesis asked even though he was not worried in the slightest, the SOLDIER having his face in that book LOVELESS like always.

"He's fine…he has Agoraphobia and Hojo went off to get the medication he will need." Sephiroth said.

"Fear of crowds…I knew someone within my younger days in SOLDIER who had the same kind of phobia and he be rid his fear not long after." Angeal said.

"How did he do this…?" Sephiroth asked.

"Simple…face your fear head on."

"You mean expose him to the crowd like Hojo mentioned?"

"Like it or not Sephiroth it is effective and it works…though not for everybody but who knows, give it a shot?" Angeal said.

"What happened…?" A voice mumbled and Sephiroth snaps his gaze upon Rike who had his eyes open half way.

"You passed out on the way; you're in Shin-Ra Medical…safe." Sephiroth advised.

"Oh…" Was all Rike said as he seemed to close his eyes again, that's when Genesis had an idea and walked over standing next to Rike and began to read…

"My friend…do you fly away now…?" Rike's eyes slowly opened and they were eyes that completely said he was annoyed "To a world that abhors you and I…?" Rike's eye turn into Sharingan "All that awaits us is a somber marrow," Rike's eyes narrow and he was doing everything in his will power to not use the powers of the Mangekyo Sharingan and set his book into a black flame or perhaps Tsukuyomi him "no matter where the winds may blow." Genesis finished and Rike shot up in a sitting position.

"Alright I'm up just stop reading that ANNOYING book!"

"How can you say it's annoying when you know nothing about it?"

"Because it's GAY!"

"It is NOT gay!"

Angeal and Sephiroth only watched the scene that was taking place, a massive sweat drop going down the back of their heads.

"I bet you don't even put that book down for five minutes and talk about something other than LOVELESS!" Rike accused.

"Are you two seriously going to argue about this…?" Sephiroth asked.

"It gets annoying!" Rike said to his mentor, that's when Rike took notice of Angeal. "Who are you?"

"Angeal Hewley, SOLDIER 1st Class." Angeal introduced offering his hand for a handshake and Rike grabs shaking hands with the fellow 1st.

"And I meet yet another 1st…" Rike said and took notice of Angeal's giant kitchen knife sword. "That's a huge sword!"

"This sword is not just for show, it is a symbol of my dreams and honor." He said bringing his left hand over his right shoulder touching the guard of the blade.

"_Dreams and honor…this must be the person Sephiroth was talking about?" _Rike thought "Does it have a name?" Rike asked.

"It is called the Buster Sword." Angeal said.

"It truly looks to have gone under remarkable craftsmanship…must cost a lot of money to make it?" Rike said.

"It did…"

"You any good with it?"

"Like any of us would ever know," Genesis said.

"Excuse me?" Rike asked.

"He rarely even uses it in battle…" Genesis explained as he turned a page in his book LOVELESS.

"Is that true…?" Rike asked Angeal.

"Somewhat…"

"Somewhat…?" Genesis asked motioning his eyes from his book to Angeal.

"Here we go…" Sephiroth said to himself somewhat annoyed. Rike watching with interest as his and Sephiroth's eyes were looking off to their left at Genesis…

"In all our years we worked together on assignments slaying monsters or searching out for special stones…you has never used that sword, all you use is a plain old standard SOLDIER Sword while carrying that heavy thing on your back." Genesis said as Sephiroth and Rike look to Angeal on their right…

"Maybe it's because you have your face in that book too much and not on the battlefield?" Angeal said, Sephiroth and Angeal look back to Genesis…

"We both know that I don't read LOVELESS while on assignment." Genesis argued as Sephiroth and Rike look back at Angeal…

"You sure about that…?" Angeal asked as Sephiroth and Rike look at one another letting the two argue.

"Does this happen all the time?" Rike asked his mentor.

"Sometimes…" Sephiroth answered as they continued to watch Angeal and Genesis bicker.

"Are they seriously going to argue about this…?" Rike asked.

"You have Agoraphobia," Sephiroth suddenly said.

"Ago what…?" Rike asked confused.

"Agoraphobia, it's a fear you have and it of large crowds since you started freaking out within the masses of Sector 7. There is treatment and Hojo will be back with the appropriate meds…" Sephiroth advised.

"Hojo…I thought you wanted me clear from that guy?"

"He is only going to be your doctor…nothing more." Sephiroth said. He didn't like the man even though he was his doctor and now Rike's since he did want Rike to have the best treatment possible from the best doctor. Besides if Hojo did try anything on Rike he would show the doctor/scientist his wrath.

"Whatever you say Seph." Rike said. "How can I be afraid of a crowd…?"

"Phobia's can happen without the person knowing but was caused by a traumatic event…we both know which event it was Rike."

Rike knew what he meant, the attack of The Hydra 5 years ago. "Yeah…I know what you mean." Then the door opened once again to Hojo who arrived while at the same time Genesis and Angeal stop their arguing.

"So you've awakened?" Hojo said. Rike didn't say a word as the man approached him holding out the bottle of meds "I assume Sephiroth has filled you in on your current condition?"

"Yeah…" Rike said as he took the bottle of meds from Hojo "who would've thought, huh?"

"You take two pills once a day…"

"That's it…?"

"Yes, it should suppress your phobia for an entire day." Hojo explained.

"No kidding…" Rike said as he looked at the bottle impressed, that's Shin-Ra for you delivering the best medical needs for its employees.

"If you want refills then you'll have to come and see me, understood?"

Rike looked to Sephiroth who gave him a nod and Rike gave Hojo a nod as well "Understood." Rike said as he pocketed the meds in his pocket. The group of 1st Class SOLDIER's soon left the room no longer in Hojo's presence but back on the SOLDIER Floor, Rike looking out the window upon the advanced city of Midgar with his arms crossed over his chest. Sephiroth was watching him from a distance with his back to the wall, Genesis went off somewhere reading his book LOVELESS or possibly sent on assignment and Angeal went looking for somebody that he called a restless puppy? Said man that was Angeal walked up to Rike…

"Rike have you seen Zack?" Angeal asked.

Rike turned his gaze upon Angeal "You mean as in Zack Fair SOLDIER 3rd Class?" He asked.

"Yeah, the same one you passed yesterday."

"What would you want with him?"

Angeal smiled "I'm helping him on his road to achieving his dream." He answered.

"_To be a hero…" _Rike said Zack's words in his mind. "Last I saw him was earlier today, he said he wasn't on assignment and went out into the city?"

"Oh boy…" Angeal said bringing a hand up to his forehead as if he had a headache.

"What's wrong…?"

"He doesn't know the city that well…"

"_I ****ing knew it!"_ Rike said in his mind, he should've known Zack was lying. "Well he said he knew the city already like the back of his hand having memorized a map."

"What a restless puppy," Angeal said to himself "I better go find him then."

Rike's phone rings and he takes it out seeing an unknown number "Hold on Angeal I have a feeling about this number…" Rike said as he flicked open the phone and put it to his ear "Zack…?" Rike asked.

"**How did you know it was me…?" **

"What do you want Fair?"

"**Hehehehe…well you see sir…I'm kind of…how do I say this…lost."**

"You're trying to get back to the Shin-Ra Building no?"

"**Yeah and I can't seem to get there?"**

"The building is the tallest structure you would see in this city and for miles, how the hell can you not find your way to that?"

"**Hey I'm new here!" **Zack whined.

"Where are you?" Rike asked annoyed.

"**I think I am in Sector 5?"**

"You think or you know!"

"**Oh yeah I'm definitely in Sector 5."**

"Angeal he's in Sector 5." Rike advised.

"Got it." Angeal said on his way.

"Do you think you can stay still like a good puppy Fair? Angeal is on the way to get you…" Rike said talking to Zack over the phone.

"**That's good,"**

"Next time Fair take a map."

"**I sure will."**

Zack was saying something else about a new and awesome food that he tried out and likes but Rike simply closed the phone hanging up on Zack.

"Troublesome…" Rike said pocketing his phone with the thought of how Zack got his phone number but would ask him later. His phone however ringed again and he took it out answering _"It better not be Zack…" _Rike thought. "Rike speaking…"

"**Rike this is Director Lazard, come to the Briefing Room, you have an assignment."** Lazard said.

"_This will be my second assignment…"_ Rike thought. "Understood." Rike said hanging up and making his way toward the Briefing Room.

"Going on assignment…?" Sephiroth asked who Rike was about to pass but stopped.

"Yeah,"

"Good luck." Sephiroth said.

"Thanks." Rike said and continued on his way toward the Briefing Room with Sephiroth watching him. Upon his arrival entering the Briefing Room he was greeted by a sight of seeing three men wearing suits, one that was shorter than the rest having unkempt red hair and two symmetrical red marks on his cheek bones with goggles pushed atop his forehead, the taller being black and bald wearing a pair a shades, and the last being a man having a black hair in a ponytail and a tilak in the middle of his forehead. The suits were however big giveaways to who they were _"Turks…" _They may not be SOLDIER but they are hell of good agents and can hold their own in a fight. The question was why were Turks at his briefing?

"Rike you have arrived." Lazard said as Rike entered the room gaining the Turks attention.

"Ready to go Director Sir."

"SOLDIER 1st Class Rike I would like you to meet Reno, Rude, and Tseng of the Turks."

"So you're the apprentice to the big SOLDIER Hero, huh?" Reno asked. "We've heard a great deal about you, from your assignments with Sephiroth that is…they say you can take down any foe with a single glance of your eyes somehow?"

"_Even though it's just illusions most of them have fallen to simple ones…"_ Rike thought "What is my assignment sir?" Rike asked Lazard.

"Your assignment will involve you working with the Turks on gathered intelligence from spies…AVALANCHE activity is said to be within the area near Gongaga and may be setting up a base of operations there to further anti Shin-Ra activities, and are said to have Wutai helping them."

"Well won't AVALANCHE be happy to see me…" Rike said seeing as how he took down their previous leader Tinsega Wutai aka The Hydra. "So it is search and destroy…?"

"We want to learn what we can from them and the Director had informed us that you have a special capability that allows you to turn into someone else." Tseng said.

"My Transformation jutsu," Rike said.

"Wait a minute you can turn into someone else, anyone you've seen?" Reno asked.

"To every detail, even their voice." Rike said.

"Show me?" Reno asked.

Rike made the appropriate hand sign and a poof of smoke engulfed him and upon clearing there was another Reno standing in Rike's place who was Rike only transformed. "The names Reno of the Turks!" Transformed Rike said in Reno's voice freaking the real Reno out.

"No way!" Reno said "Am I really that fat…?" He asked himself as Rike returned to his normal size and self.

"When do we leave?" Rike asked.

"Now." Was all Tseng said.

Sephiroth on the SOLDIER Floor looked out the window just in time to see a helicopter heading off in the direction of Gongaga. He would be lying to himself if he said that he wasn't worried as this is Rike's first assignment outside Midgar without him but to tell you the truth he also felt confident that Rike would be alright _"Good luck Rike."_

* * *

**Until chapter 3! How did you like Rike's Thundara Windmill Shuriken, I thought it was a good idea! You may have guessed as to what will be in the next chapter as Rike heads on to his second assignment and will maybe take me week and a half to update. Until next time!**


	4. Chapter 3 Gongaga

**Yeah I know I said this would be up in a week and I am sorry but here is the next chapter of Final Fantasy Leagacy of Sephiroth: RIZING!**

**I dont own Final Fantasy VIII, Naruto or anything else but as a reminder Rike and any other characters I make up are mine.**

* * *

Rike sat patiently in his seat next to Tseng as Reno was piloting the helicopter with Reno by his side, upon their arrival in Gongaga they would rendezvous with another Turk that was within the area. At the moment Rike was meditating to himself which was something he picked up and got into doing and helped often when he needed to calm down and think. The mission was to locate AVALANCHE's base of operations within the Gongaga Area, infiltrate it with Rike disguised as one of terrorists to Shin-Ra and discover their plans and any other possible information on the anti-Shin-Ra group. Maybe even discover its new leader's identity since Hydra was still locked up behind bars. Perhaps Rike could've suggested Zack to come with him but he was new to SOLDIER and didn't want to be held responsible for his death…sounds troublesome.

"So SOLDIER boy…?" Reno addressed over the mouth piece as his voice could be heard through the muffs covering Rike's ears. "How did a kid like you not be sought out by the Turks?"

"What are talking about?" Rike asked.

"Turks seek out SOLDIER candidates and it was surprising to us that we never came across you." Tseng said.

"Guess you weren't looking hard enough then…"

"I got to tell you I was surprised when I heard a kid defeated Hydra, the Turks were on that guys tail for a long time since he was AVALANCHE's leader then and then we hear the news of a kid beating him and taken to Shin-Ra." Reno said.

"Hmm" Was the sound Rike made.

"And now it turns out that kid is Sephiroth's apprentice, a SOLDIER and has freakish eyes." Reno said.

"What did you say…?" Rike asked in a threatening tone as if offended.

"What did I say…?" Reno asked.

"My Sharingan in NOT freakish…it is a gift!"

"Reno!" Rude whispered and Reno cringed.

"Is he always like this…?" Rike asked Tseng.

"Apologies," Tseng said "You can say Reno is just a curious one."

"Perhaps to curious…" The young SOLDIER 1st said.

"We are about to land." Rude advised.

Indeed they were as Rike looked out the window and he can see the town of Gongaga below as the helicopter was lowering itself going into a landing. The landing completed and the air vehicle powering down the side door to the helicopter opens with Tseng coming out first followed by Rike. He took a look around Gongaga and noticed that they were becoming the center of attention although it was a small crowd so far, good thing he took his medication. Rike looked back over his shoulder catching the sight just in time that brought a smile to his face as Reno tripped and hit the dirt face first with Rude jumping over him.

"Oh nobody help me that would be a little too much!" Reno whined angrily as he picked himself up and caught Rike's smirk. "I bet you enjoyed that…"

"Yeah, I did."

"It's been some time since I've seen that handsome face," Said a female voice.

Rike looked to the source of the voice seeing a woman in a Turk outfit with a sidearm Gun that had shoulder length long hair. _"Is she referring to me…and haven't I seen her before?" _

"Aura…?" Tseng addressed as the group walked up to her with Reno and Rude following close behind.

"Hey Aura were you talking to me?" Reno asked with a smirk "Because if you were then I don't blame you."

"I was talking too little Rike." Aura said.

"Rike…? Why him…?" Reno asked looking at the SOLDIER.

"You two know each other…?" Tseng asked.

"Of course, I was the one who severed little Rike here the day after his village was attacked." Aura said placing one hand on her hip.

"Wait a minute your that woman!" Rike said remembering her from five years ago.

"That's me." Aura said "Wow so your SOLDIER now and a 1st as well as being the apprentice of Sephiroth, not to mention that you've become very handsome." She said with a smile, the comment actually made Rike grow a blush on his cheeks as he turned his head the other direction. "If only I were younger…" Reno snickering behind Rike received the SOLDIER's elbow to his stomach making Reno kick over grabbing his stomach and does his best to prevent himself from throwing up. Tseng, Aura, and Rike walking ahead as Rude were trying to help his friend through his pain.

"I think he hates you Reno?" Rude said.

"You think?" Reno said in an almost yell.

None the less Reno and Rude managed to catch up to the group as they walked through the town getting a glance by most of everyone.

"Any Intel on AVALANCHE's location in the area?" Tseng asked.

"No none so far as I am still investigating but most likely outside the area of this vicinity." Aura said.

"They won't be within Gongaga, to obvious. They have to be somewhere outside of the town…" Rike suggested.

"It makes sense…after all small "dirt storms" do come in time to time." Aura said backing up Rike's theory.

"We won't know for sure until we find some hard on Intel," Tseng said.

"Who would know better than a member of AVALANCHE?" Reno asked.

"Exactly," Rike said.

"Aura do we have a base of operations of our own set up?" Tseng asked.

"Follow me."

Their base of operations was a large two bedroom with two separate beds in each room meaning that Rike, Reno, Rude and Tseng would have to share one room while Aura, she is a lady after all, would have the other bed room all to herself. There was also the option of having the couch that was within the living room they were standing in with the small kitchen and there were computers and other pieces of equipment set up and sent to them on behalf of the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company. There was even Materia that was company provided of course and would later be returned when the mission was done. Rike took notice of a large black case that was sat atop a desk…it was a very familiar case that he had seen before?

"We are living in this for now?" Reno asked walking around examining the room. He then took notice of the two bedrooms having separate beds in each, he had an idea. "Well Aura it looks like we are both going to have to share a room?" Reno said with a smile on his face putting his hands on the back of his head sporting a huge smile on his face.

"Yeah, you wish Reno." Aura said.

"You should know that the lady gets her own room Reno." Rike said aloud as he opened the large black case and a smile came upon his face. He could only know that it was Sephiroth behind this, who else?

"Huh?"

"In case you didn't notice Reno I am the woman here meaning that I get a bedroom all to myself, while you Rude and Tseng share with Rike." Aura said.

"It's called chivalry Reno." Rike said as he pulled out what looked to be a black bow that looked advanced having Shin-Ra technology built in it, it was folded and flicking it forward the bow spread open revealing its black string and pulled back the string of the bow testing its flexibility. Yeah it was still the same bow he used and created, It was his bow Hawkeye and still in the case was the black sack with arrows set inside ready to go. The Turks took notice of Rike's weapon…

"You any good with that?" Reno asked as he pulled out a piece of gum intending on eating it when all of a sudden an arrow impaled the piece of gum into the wall freaking Reno out as he fell on his butt. "Hey!"

There Rike stood with his bow within his right hand still aimed and a smirk on his face "Does that answer your question?"

"Never knew you were into archery?" Aura said "You file didn't say you were."

"This was made around the time when I and Sephiroth created the HF Sword that is in my possession now; I grew an interest into archery wanting a way of attack from long distances and decided to make my own bow with left over scraps of disposed Shin-Ra technology thus creating Hawkeye here. Not only is using the bow and arrow deadly from a distance but also silent" Rike explained ringing the bow over his left shoulder and clipping on the black sack of arrows next to his bow that was slanted down from behind his left shoulder. "I practiced with the art of the bow and arrow outside the limits of Midgar in the wastelands so that should explain why it's not listed in my file."

"So he's not only a swordsman but an archer? Did you make the arrows too?" Reno asked as he picked himself back up.

"They were made by Shin-Ra and are special." Rike said and then he zipped up the rest of his collar and taking notice of seeing the winds outside the window blowing the dirt, now seeing what Aura meant by "dirt storms", he grabs the goggles that were also within the case, the SOLDIER making his way to the door to leave.

"Where are you going?" Tseng asked.

"Hunting."

"You can't go all by yourself," Aura argued stopping Rike in his tracks.

"I'm not leaving Gongaga; I'm going to gather Intel from within the village, don't worry. While I do that you guys set things up here…I'll be back in an hour." Rike assured as he put the silver goggles on over his eyes and walked out the door closing it behind him.

"Isn't somebody going to go with him?" Aura asked.

"I'm sure the kid can take care of himself." Reno said.

"That's not the point!"

"Reno, Rude? Follow him." Tseng ordered.

"Oh come on man! I mean he's Sephiroth's student for Gaia's sake and not to mention all of wind of dirt blowing outside!" Reno whined.

"No room for arguing, go. I and Aura will get things situated here." Tseng said.

"Awe man come on Rude!" Reno whined as Rude followed with a nod.

Within the village that was Gongaga the SOLDIER walked through the wind of blowing dirt, his eyes protected by the goggles he wore. As he walked the streets of the village against the blowing wind of dirt he would take notice of one or more villagers running to their homes to get out of the miniature storm or some were calmly walking, he even took notice that they wore cloaks with hoods over their heads.

"Where is it?" Rike asked himself and finally he took notice of the house he was looking for with the right address, he walked up the house with a picket fence surrounding the place. Opening the gate and walking up the brick path and then up the porch to now in front of the door, he couldn't believe he was actually acting as a delivery boy for Zack…

_**Flashback…**_

_**Before Rike left on his assignment that was in the village of Gongaga he was stopped in the halls of the Shin-Ra Building with Zack calling his name, the SOLDIER 1**__**st**__** stopped wondering what Zack wanted…**_

"_**Hold on man!" Zack stops before his superior as Rike turned to him giving his full attention.**_

"_**I don't have time to talk Fair I need to get to…"**_

"_**Gongaga yeah I know."**_

"_**And how would you know?" Rike asked narrowing his eyes.**_

"_**Hey man I have my sources but I wanted to ask you a favor…"**_

"_**A favor?"**_

"_**Yeah well as I am sure you know Gongaga is my home town and I would like you to deliver this letter for me?" Zack asked pulling out the letter holding it before Rike.**_

"_**Do I look like a delivery boy to you Fair?"**_

"_**Well of course not but since you heading that way I just figured."**_

"_**Why don't you just call them on your phone?"**_

"_**Well you see I sort of…" Zack placed one hand behind the back of his helmet "misplaced it."**_

"_**You lost your phone?" Rike said. "No replacements are offered as you are only given the one." Rike lectured.**_

"_**Hey I didn't say I lost it, I misplaced it."**_

"_**You lost it!"**_

"_**Please do this for me!" Zack held up the sealed letter with both of his hand "Please sir?"**_

_**Rike was annoyed and wasn't surprised "Fine but I am not going to do this for you ever again!"**_

"_**Thank you!" Zack gave Rike the letter "Now the address and everything is already on their and…"**_

"_**BEAT IT!" Rike ordered and Zack sped off as if the devil were on his tail "What an annoying pup!" Rike said pocketing the letter and continued on his way to the chopper that was waiting for him on the roof of the Shin-Ra Building.**_

_**Flashback End.**_

Rike brought up his hand giving the door three knocks and waited until he heard footsteps and then the door opened revealing a woman with long black hair. She gasped taking notice of the all black outfit Rike wore and the weapons he was armed with, the SOLDIER taking notice of this took off his goggles revealing his blue eyes.

"Who are you?" The woman asked.

"Forgive me but is this the Fair residence?" Rike asked.

"Yes," The woman replied nervously.

"So then I am to assume you are Miss's Fair then? I am Rike SOLDIER 1st Class and I came to deliver a letter from you son Zack Fair." Rike said.

"You are a SOLDIER 1st?" Mrs. Fair asked put at awe, not that he was a 1st but that he was a SOLDIER at such a young age. "Oh please come in!" She said letting Rike step inside getting out of the small dirt storm.

"Here," Rike said pulling out the letter and holding it out to her, turned reaching for the doorknob to make his leave.

"Wait!" She said stopping Rike in his tracks "Tell me how he is! Has he become a SOLDIER like you?"

"Yes he has…" Rike answered and then took notice over his shoulder that Zack's mother looked down?

"Mam?"

"Oh its nothing…I'm glad he has become what he wanted to be, a SOLDIER for the company but my husband…"

"Your husband?"

"He doesn't like Shin-Ra and wanted Zack to stay here at home; saying that being a SOLDIER was an evil dream."

"_Her husband hates Shin-Ra…" _Rike thought. "What reason does he think the company ill?"

"He just doesn't trust them…"

"What is your husband's name?" Rike asked now suspicious of the man possibly in league with AVALANCHE.

"Why?"

"Mam I was not only here to deliver Zack's letter but also sent here on assignment tracking down the location of AVALANCHE that our intelligence tells us are most likely outside the area of Gongaga but we don't know where. Now you say your husband hates Shin-Ra…"

"Oh no please he is not involved with those people of AVALANCHE!"

"How do I know you're not just saying this to cover for your husband? You say he hates Shin-Ra which makes him a suspect that could possibly be connected with AVALANCHE knowing of their location in the area. Our assignment is to find where AVALANCHE is based here and destroy them, they are a threat to not only the company but also to society…They are nothing but terrorists and in my opinion terrorists have to be dealt with."

"He is not involved…" Mrs.'s Fair said in a tone that sounded like one that was final and to Rike sounded like she was telling the truth.

"I guess I will be taking my leave then, good day." Rike said grabbing the door knob again "Zack is spirited one…and one with great determination that is why I passed him and made him apart of SOLDIER. I have no doubt that he will accomplish his dream…"

"You made his a SOLDIER…because of his dream?"

"Yes, he met my criteria for he has a strong dream and that is to become a hero." Rike answered.

"He would always say that…saying that he was going to join the company becoming a part of SOLDIER and that he would become a hero, we only thought he was being a silly normal child but knowing where he is now he is serious. Can you make me a promise?"

"A promise?"

"Promise me that you will look out for Zack's well-being?" She asked.

Rike once again looked over his shoulder at the woman "The last promise I made I failed to keep…" Rike's memories of his burning home village and the screams of its populace flashed and echoed in his mind along with the images of blood covered bodies and that of his friends. "The reason I don't make promises is that I can't promise that I will deliver upon it…your son is strong, he will be fine."

"What was the last promise you made? The one you failed to keep?" Mrs.'s Fair asked curious.

"To protect what I cherished most." Rike answered before he opened and went out the door closing it behind him. The young SOLDIER 1st put his goggles back on and continued his Information Gathering within the town exiting the Fair residents and took his path down into an alley but stops? He reaches out his right hand to his right grabbing hold of someone collar pulling him out of the shadows revealing it to be Reno who had on a pair of goggles.

"Hey there!" Reno greeted with a grin.

"Rude?" Rike called and said man revealed himself out from hiding behind a dumpster adjusting his sunglasses. Rike let go of Reno… "Let me guess Tseng sent you to follow me?" Rike asked.

"Indeed." Rude answered.

"Well come on kid you just ran off by yourself." Reno said.

"I can take care of myself,"

"That's what I said!"

"Look I want you two to do some research," Rike said and pointed his hand at the Fair residents "in their houses the parents of SOLDIER 3rd Class Zack Fair, his mother is the only one in but her husband is out right now. Now when I asked of her husband's name she wouldn't give me that information…"

"Why?" Rude asked now in Turk Mode.

"Her husband didn't want Zack to become a SOLDIER of the company and Mrs.'s Fair revealed to me that he doesn't like Shin-Ra,"

"And you believe that this Zack's father has something to do with AVALANCHE?" Reno asked now in Turk Mode as well.

"I am not sure…? That's why I need for you two to find out all that you know of Mrs.'s Fair's husband. I want a name, date of birth, his occupation, what toothpaste he uses, and the name of his favorite color I want everything on him. This man is only a suspect though and it would be wise if one of you kept watch upon the residence just in case the husband arrives, when he does call me." Rike said.

"Shotgun on Intel Gathering!" Reno said beating Rude to it who now had to stay on watch.

"That's not fair!" Rude whined.

"Life's not fair as I still haven't hooked up with Aura." Reno said.

"Rude I suggest you wear something inconspicuous, seeing someone right across your street wearing a black suit and glasses in not very conspicuous." Rike suggested as he walked away proceeding on with his Information Gathering, with Reno walking off to do the same thing leaving Rude to his part.

"Let's see…inconspicuous?" Ride said looking around and then took notice of a disposed brown cloak next to the dumpster; he puts it on bringing its hood over his head "Perfect!" He said as he sat down on the ground against the side of a building.

As Rike walked through the village of Gongaga he took notice of a bar entering inside while removing his goggles putting them in his pocket. His outfit got everyone's attention that was in the bar either taking cover from the dirt storm outside or having just came for a drink. As he walked up to the counter of the bar, each step he made making the floor creak, he could hear mummers and could see most of them that were male giving him glares? Why they were looking at him in such a way he did not know? Rike arrived at the front of the bar…

"I'm here seeking any possible information on AVALANCHE activity in the area," Rike said grabbing the bar tenders attention "do you know anything?" Rike asked kindly.

"Who's asking?" The bar tender asked while he cleaned a glass.

Rike pulled up his SOLDIER badge "SOLDIER 1st Class Rike of the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company. We are here investigating activities around here from AVALANCHE; do you or anyone know anything?" Rike asked.

"I don't talk to dogs of the company like you,"

"Dog?"

"In fact I don't like Shin-Ra at all…and neither do they," The bar tender said motioning his head to the back of Rike, the SOLDIER looking over his shoulder to see that the men were about to jump him. They all charged him and the result was the sound of many punches and grunts heard following with the sound of bodies hitting the wooden floor, and if one were outside the bar another male individual crashed through the window! The bar tender was in a state of shock and he watched as Rike blocked grabbing a man's fist and then snaps it with the flicking up of his wrist! The man falling on his knees to the floor in pain. Rike puts his gaze upon the bar tender but this time showing his Sharingan eyes, he was angry.

"Attacking a SOLDIER operative of the company, that is ten years of prison." Rike walked over reaching his hand over the counter grabbing the bar tenders collar and pulled him over the table to holding him up in the air before him! Others looking in total shock at the SOLDIER's strength when really all SOLDIER operatives were capable of this much strength… "You're going to give me information I need to know or you are going to end up like everyone else on the floor!" Rike threatened and that's when the guy thrown out the window walked in and fell on the floor face first grabbing everyone's attention, even Rike's as he gave the fallen man a raised left eyebrow before he focused his gaze back on the man he was interrogating.

"I don't know anything!"

"Well something tells me that you do! I don't think you understand why we are here! We are here to find AVALANCHE, destroy AVALANCHE for yours and other innocent's sakes!" Rike said with his Sharingan eyes now spinning mad that scared the bar tender who was looking into those freakish eyes belonging to the young SOLDIER 1st.

"Look I don't know anything but everyone here steers clear from those guys!"

"What are you saying that you all knew of AVALANCHE's presence here and never told the company of this?"

"You don't understand! We were all threatened by the group…"

"Threatened?"

"Yes…you see when AVALANCHE came here we all would have thought they would just kill us all or do harm to us in some way, but surprisingly they didn't and instead the leader of the group offered us a deal."

"What sort of deal and who is the leader?" Rike asked.

"The leader's face we could not see or tell because it was all wrapped up in bandages but I could tell you what he wore,"

"And that would be?" Rike asked as he set the man down on his feet who adjusted his collar.

"He wore a black trench coat and he appeared to carry with him some sort of sword? Like a samurai sword?"

"And the offer?"

"He said that if we ever revealed to Shin-Ra of their asylum within Gongaga then AVALANCHE would strike at us with a vengeance, so long as we kept our mouths shut and denied any sighting of AVALANCHE within Gongaga then they would leave us be in peace."

"How long has this been going on and don't lie to me."

"Four years at the most."

"That long huh? Where is their base?"

"How should I know? In fact how should anyone within Gongaga know? We live in fear of their retaliation if we rat them out."

Now that Rike thought about when this man mentioned this town would be wiped out by AVALANCHE if they were rated out to the company it brought memories of his home in flames with him standing in the middle of it as the ten year old he was back then surrounded by the dead. It was only a brief vision as it was gone as quickly as it came. Gongaga would suffer the same fate and at the hands of AVALANCHE's new leader just like his suffered at the hands of its previous leader, the infamous Hydra that he defeated. "You know nothing of their location?" Rike asked.

"No one does."

"_Then that means they would have to be somewhere outside the village then?" _The SOLDIER turned walking for the exit deactivating his Sharingan. "You all have no need to fear…I may have failed to stop the Hydra back then but I won't let those events repeat itself." He walked out the door making his exit.

"Failed to stop The Hydra…? Hold on second, he could be? Could he?"

Meanwhile back in "Shin-Ra Base Gongaga" is what they decided to call it seeing as it would house Reno, Rude, Tseng, and Aura the Turks as well as Rike one would see Reno on the computer looking up files through the Shin-Ra database. He was searching through SOLDIER 3rd Class Zack Fair's file for his father's name and discovering his mother's name being Elizabeth Fair and his father's name was Connor Fair, his occupation was one that worked at Gongaga's power plant.

"What are you doing Reno?" The voice of Aura asked as Tseng was in the background on the phone.

"What's it to you?"

"Connor Fair?" Aura said as she read the computer screen of the man's file that had a similar appearance to Zack's hair only more wildly and he was older at the age of 32 with brown eyes and while skin.

"Rike thinks this guy is a suspect," Reno said and that's when Aura just realized Reno was here.

"Speaking of Rike aren't you supposed to be watching him?" Aura asked in a scolding tone. "And don't tell me you left Rude to do the work?"

"Rude is watching this guy's house just in case he comes back, SOLDIER boy talked to the wife Elizabeth Fair asking for her husband's name learning that her husband has a dislike for the company." Reno explained.

"So he put you two to work? And you actually listened?" Aura asked as if shocked.

"Hey my head told me not to get on the kids bad side alright, sheesh!"

"You still left him alone! It's dangerous!"

"Aura he is a SOLDIER and 1st Class may I remind you." Reno pointed out "And to top it off he is the apprentice of Sephiroth, you know the same one that defeated The Hydra years ago?" Reno furthering his point "Trust me the kid can take care of himself." Reno's phone rang and flipping it open putting it to his ear "Hello?"

"**Do you have anything yet?" **Rike's voice asked.

"How did you get this number?"

"**Reno!"**

"Alright! The guy's name is Connor Fair and if you want to know the wife's name is Elizabeth Fair…Anyway the guy works at the Gongaga Power Plant."

"**Hmm…I expected him to be someone that would involve work outside of Gongaga. Pass on this information to Tseng and I suggest monitoring Connor Fair's movements. Also it appears that AVALANCHE is based outside of Gongaga, I learned in a bar from a man that the people were approached by the group threatened. For the past four years AVALANCHE has been based here and the people didn't give them up to Shin-Ra fearing retaliation made clear by their leader who wears a black trench coat having white bandages covering all of his face carrying around a sword. I'll call back when I have any further Intel." **Rike's line went blank as he hung up.

"And how long was he gone?" Reno asked as he put his phone away.

Aura checked his watch and said "Only twenty minutes."

"Surprised he's not a Turk." Reno said.

"Who's a Turk?" Tseng asked "Reno what are you doing here?"

As Rike was walking the streets the dirt storm subsides, him taking off his goggles and putting them away. His collar still zipped all the way up **(AN: May have it like that for a while, who knows?) **as he made his way in the direction of the Gongaga Power Plant, having gained directions via his phone with the help of Shin-Ra's satellites orbiting The Planet creating a map. After having memorized the directions he dialed a number putting the phone to his ear and answering it was Rude…

"Rude, had the man of the house returned yet?" Rike asked.

"**No one has returned yet,"**

"Then he is still at work,"

"**Who?"**

"I'm sure you'll be brought up to speed soon, I got to go."

"**Hold on how did you get my number?"**

Rike hung up putting his phone away as the power plant was in sight as he approached its entrance that was blocked off with a security guard of the power plant approaching and stopping him in his tracks holding up his hand.

"Halt citizen you are not meant to be here." The security guard said.

"I'm here for a Connor Fair; I need to speak to him immediately."

"Says who?"

Rike pulled out his SOLDIER badge showing it to the guard "SOLDIER 1st Class Rike of the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company," Rike said.

"Yeah that's a story I'll believe kid…you're too young to be a SOLDIER 1st of the Shin-Ra Corporation." The security guard said not believing him "Turn around and take yourself and your toys and play SOLDIER somewhere else." Rike was about to retaliate until…

"You will allow him access," Said a familiar voice and looking over his shoulder Rike saw it to be Aura who grabbed the security guards attention "You just so happen to be talking to the second most youngest SOLDIER 1st in Shin-Ra history and here is a little revelation for you," Aura stopping next to Rike's side "He is the apprentice of the SOLDIER Hero Sephiroth, the one that defeated The Hydra five years ago." She revealed causing the security guard to look at Rike in shock.

"You're that child?"

"Are you going to take me to Connor Fair or not?" Rike asked.

"Sure right away, follow me." The guard said as he signaled for another guard to take his post and lead the Turk and SOLDIER into the power plant to find Connor Fair. As the two were lead inside and through the halls of the power plant they didn't go unnoticed by other working employees seeing a Turk and a kid that was armed with a sword with a bow and a black sack of arrows on his back.

"So I came across that bar…" Aura said.

"What about it?" Rike asked.

"What about it? You hurt innocent people!"

"Correction they attacked me and I simply used self-defense, they hurt themselves." Rike countered. The two found themselves soon walking upon a catwalk, above they can see through another catwalk others employees working that took notice of their presence. They came to a stop as the guard pointed out the man Rike was looking for who wore a white hat over his head as he continued his work.

"Connor Fair?" Rike called out to as he walked past the guard with Aura following him, the young SOLDIER gaining Connor Fair's attention with Aura seeing that his face matched the description "I have questions, I also know your son Zack Fair."

* * *

**Until next time and please dont be afraid to review for i wish to better myself, favoriting this story is nice and all and makes me feel good that you like but please help me to better myself. Thank you for the review revan193 and I hope the questions I answered for you shed some light on Rike. Oh and I hope you guys like the bow Hawkeye, just had to name it that because I saw The Avengers and it was EPIC as well as Hawkeye was in the movie with his archery! Before anyone says I just gave him a bow because Rike has one in my Assassin's Creed Naruto crossover fic then that is wrong, I planned giving Rike in this fic the bow from the very beggining because I wanted to him to have a weapon that he can strike from long range that was not only deadly but silent. Part of the reason why this chapter took so long to post was because of what I wanted to call Rike's bow and after seeing The Avangers I thought hey I'll call Rike's bow Hawkeye! See you around! :)*Gives you a thumbs up***


	5. Chapter 4 Gongaga Part II

**Enjoy the current chapter readers! Read&Review please! **

* * *

"Connor Fair?" Rike asked the man he stopped before to confirm his name.

"Yes that would be me?" Connor said taking off his hat. "By the way you two are dressed you two are from Shin-Ra." Connor looked to Aura "You wear a suit meaning your one of those Turks." He then looked to Rike "And seeing the way you're dressed in black means that you're a SOLDIER and a 1st?"

"Something wrong with that?" Rike asked.

"No it's just that you are so young to be a 1st, I have seen 2nd's and 3rd's as well as little 1st's but never one so young as you?"

"He's the one that defeated The Hydra and is Sephiroth's apprentice." The guard said gaining a shocked look from Connor who looked down at Rike.

"So you're that child then, huh? News spread of Sephiroth having an apprentice…seen with Sephiroth here and there in Gaia…one that has had with all of his opponents fell in battle with just a glance, they call you The Red Eyed Nightmare." Connor recalled.

It was true with the alias, as Rike continued to go on assignments with Sephiroth getting stronger and learning more while progressing through the ranks of SOLDIER he would encounter Wutai's most often because he was once on assignment with Sephiroth in the land of Wutai becoming involved in the war. Every Wutai that he fought against he casted powerful illusions upon multiple opponents revealing only one Sharingan eye, the illusion would as a result make them kill one another instead without him having to life a single finger or draw his blade. This is how he earned the name The Red Eyed Nightmare within the Wutai Shin-Ra War but he also had earned another name during an ambush upon him and Sephiroth that was little known outside of Wutai but was feared within its lands…a name having to do with his swordsmanship.

"The people of Wutai have another name for me…"

"Connor Fair…we know of your dislike for Shin-Ra and want to ask you a few questions?" Aura asked.

"Is it about AVALANCHE?"

"Yes it is." Rike said.

"I see…you suspected that I had a connection with the group because of my dislike for the company you work for."

Aura took notice of the attention they were gathering and suggested that they go somewhere more private and after finding and entering a room they continued their conversation.

"With all honesty yes I did." Rike admitted. "Upon delivering your son's letter into your wife's hands she told me of you not liking Shin-Ra, I asked for your name but she wouldn't give it to me which is what made me suspicious. She says that you have no involvement with AVALANCHE…"

"I assure you that I don't."

"How do I know you're not lying to me?"

"What reason would I have to lie?" Connor asked as he sat down in a chair "Do want to know why I dislike the company?"

"That would give me better insight yes."

"Your teacher Sephiroth," Connor answered.

Rike gave his a confused look "Why would you dislike the company because of Sephiroth?"

"At the start of Wutai Shin-Ra War Zack had heard of all the heroic exploits of Sephiroth…" Rike could see now where this was going "because of Sephiroth he immediately wanted to become like that man…he wanted to become a hero. I tried to find a way to talk him out of it by saying something like dreams like that were unattainable but that only fueled his determination. He would have dreams of being part of SOLDIER…fighting by Sephiroth's side. I didn't want him becoming part of SOLDIER because I know that eventually Shin-Ra will send him into the war for the sake of further Mako Excavation. I wanted him to stay here in Gongaga with me and my wife…I don't want to lose my only son…" Connor looked to Rike who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed "Seeing as Zack hasn't returned yet means that he is part of SOLDIER…right?" He asked the SOLDIER 1st.

"Yes…"

"I thought so as I also feared…How is my boy by the way?"

"He is a restless puppy but all in all he will turn out into a strong SOLDIER…I don't have a doubt that he will make it through." Rike said. There was a silence in the room for a good minute "We will be leaving then…thank you for your cooperation." He was making his way for the door with Aura in toe.

"Wait!" Connor said stopping them in their tracks "About AVALANCHE…you say you are here looking for them?"

"Yes and are here to stop them," Aura said.

"Well no one knows of AVALANCHE's location but they are definitely not within Gongaga but outside of it?"

"You have a location?" Rike asked.

"No I don't but if I were AVALANCHE or its current leader whoever it is I would be somewhere close to a power source, this plant has cables reaching outside Gongaga to supply lighting for the roads. If I were the leader of AVALANCHE I would have us stationed there, somewhere near a power source."

"How many cables are there?" Aura asked.

"Well there are a total of three…one outside Gongaga for the roads north of here another south and there is the one within the mountains…not to mention an active Mako Reactor active somewhere near?"

"There is such a reactor at the bottom of the mountains; there is a path that leads down that way south of here." Aura said.

"Thanks for the help," Rike said.

"Can you deliver my son a message?"

"_Do I look like a delivery boy?" _Rike wondered "Yes what is it?"

"Tell him that…I'm very proud of him and that whenever he gets free time to come and see his family."

"I will pass on the message,"

"Thanks."

Aura and Rike exit off of the premises of the Gongaga Power Plant with the SOLDIER heading south…

"Where are you going?" Aura asked stopping him in his tracks as she was going the other way and that was to Tseng and the others.

"South." Rike answered.

"Alright listen up Rike; we all know that your SOLDIER being Sephiroth's apprentice being able to take care of yourself and all but you are not going alone against AVALANCHE! They might not even be anywhere near the Mako Reactor and plus we need to report this to Tseng, don't forget that he is the leader of this operation."

"I know…just call him and tell him what we gathered?"

"No we are all going to go back to base, rest up, think of a plan and decided from there. We don't have any idea how many AVALANCHE numbers here and do you have a plan to taking on AVALANCHE?"

"I do have a plan."

"Oh and pray tell what that would be?"

"Attack…"

"You can't just attack…Remember why you were requested for this mission Rike your ability to transform into other people, that Transformation Jutsu you developed? We need you to gather Intel from within their ranks so we can learn of any of AVALANCHE's future plans…such as the identity of AVALANCHE's new leader."

Rike had to admit that she was right…he had a good reason hating AVALANCHE with the passion because The Hydra once leaded the group. He wanted to literally destroy AVALANCHE! "Fine then," Rike said turning the other way walking past Aura toward base…

"That's better…" Aura said as she followed after him.

Rike and Aura returned to Shin-Ra Base Gongaga with the female Turk entering first followed by the young male SOLDIER closing the door behind him. Reno was on the computer laughing at Rude who tipped over his shoe and a small amount of dirt poured out, Tseng shaking his head left and right at this.

"We're back!" Aura said grabbing their attention.

"Oh great Aura and SOLDIER Boy have returned!" Reno said with his grin.

"Call me SOLDIER Boy and you won't be able to pass on a legacy of your own." Rike threatened.

"Sorry!" Reno said quickly. Something told him that Rike was a man of his word…

"What of Connor Fair?" Tseng asked.

"He isn't involved with AVALANCHE…" Rike answered.

"Are you sure?" Reno asked.

"I'm sure of it…I could just tell by looking in his eyes…he dislikes Shin-Ra because of Zack Fair's dream to become a hero like Sephiroth and he dislikes Sephiroth as a result as well."

"That's a shock…everyone likes him." Rude said.

"He did tell us that AVALANCHE is may likely be located in four possible locations, somewhere near power…I thought the Mako Reactor not fat from here."

"They won't be there, AVALANCHE targets Mako Reactors as it is a power source of the company. What are the other possible?" Tseng asked.

"There are three power cables around Gongaga all linking to the Gongaga Power Plant, two one north and the other south of Gongaga and one up in the mountains." Aura answered.

"They wouldn't be in the mountains, to easy so then they will have to be somewhere in the wastelands of Gongaga…it would make things difficult for Shin-Ra or us to track them."

"So how are we going to do this?" Reno asked aloud.

"It would be better if we had someone in the air…Reno and Rude you will take the chopper and patrol from above the skies to us while we are on ground level but try not to make to obvious, don't want the people of Gongaga suffering because of us." Rike knew what Tseng meant; AVALANCHE would see this as the town ratting on them and wanted them to make it look like they were just flying within the area.

"Got it!" Reno said with thumbs up with Rude giving a simple nod.

"Tomorrow we will begin our ground search starting in the south seeing as the Mako Reactor is in that direction as well." Tseng said. As much as Rike wanted to argue of why not attacking now he remembered who was in charge of this operation. "Good work today Rike." Tseng said.

"So what do we do now?" Rike asked already feeling bored and wanted to continue with the assignment.

"We rest up and the operation begins tomorrow starting with your infiltration, you will have a wire on you so that we can hear everything once your inside."

"Right…" The SOLDIER said making his way for the door again.

"Where are you going now?" Aura asked.

"To distract myself," Rike said as he patted the black sack of arrows on his back. The SOLDIER looked to Tseng as if asking permission since he was in charge and received a nod "I won't be back for a while…" much to Aura's surprise and watched as he went out the door again.

"Tseng are you sure that's even a good idea? I mean earlier he was ready to attack AVALANCHE head on by himself," Aura said.

"According to his file he may sometimes be like that he follows orders of the leader, him going on assignments with Sephiroth shows that he obeyed him to every order showing that he is a loyal member of the company. He won't jump the gun Aura don't worry…but if you are you are free to follow him." Tseng said and walked to a desk that held a opened file and that opened file was of SOLDIER 1st Class Rike, his picture showing him in the uniform he was in now and having his HF Sword leaned over his right shoulder. The file had every piece of information of Rike including date of birth being that of October 7th, his current age of 15 and the ages he became a 3rd Class SOLDIER to rising quickly through the ranks of SOLDIER to 1st much like Sephiroth. It was sort of frightening seeing there was another individual who had the potential of being like that of Sephiroth; it would be like having TWO Sephiroth's! Of course Sephiroth was the still more superior as most of his opponents being monster or human are taken down by him in a single strike of his Masamune blade. I was funny seeing as how all of Sephiroth's opponents went down with the strike of his blade but with Rike his opponents went down with a single glance earning him the name The Red Eyed Nightmare. Then there was that other name the people of Wutai called him after massacring an entire base by himself in the dead of night, as a result of the scene after Rike finished his assignment bodies were cut up and dismembered from that of a sword. The people of Wutai from here on in nicknamed Rike of SOLDIER "Jack the Ripper". There was also a name that both Sephiroth and Rike shared when on assignment together (Rike mostly being taken on Sephiroth's assignments by the SOLDIER Hero himself) and were a great team working with one another, they earned the nickname that was known throughout Gaia as "The Twin Terrors".

So Rike had two known aliases being The Red Eyed Nightmare and Jack the Ripper while he shared one with Sephiroth as The Twin Terrors. Sephiroth had three being The Nightmare, The Legendary SOLDIER and the SOLDIER Hero sharing with Rike the alias as one of The Twin Terrors. As Tseng looked between the two taken pictures of the SOLDIER's Sephiroth and Rike he had no doubt that they both lived up to the name The Twin Terrors…He could see why they called them The Twin Terrors, it was because of Rike he was like another Sephiroth rising. Then his attention was back on Rike's mysterious eyes which fascinated most scientists within Shin-Ra, mainly being Hojo that seemed to want to get his hands on the boy. The eyes Rike called Sharingan and its ability being described by Sephiroth within a report on the exact same night after the attack of The Hydra. Its description was not only freakish and kind of scared some but also it had the fascinating ability to copy his opponents, Shin-Ra learned this through watching Rike on assignments with Sephiroth. Yes Shin-Ra watched him seeing as he wouldn't reveal any further detail on his Sharingan and learned that he was able to copy not just his opponent's attacks but also predict them as well as movements along with him being able to cast "eye illusions". Then there were those "black flames" and the "giant ethereal warrior of energy" along with this second level of Sharingan that Rike called Mangekyo Sharingan? What was Mangekyo Sharingan? So many mysteries surround Rike like the identity of his parents who he has no knowledge of? The origin of the Sharingan eye? And this other source of energy he called Chakra?

"SOLDIER 1st Class Rike?" Tseng said as he looked at said SOLDIER's picture.

Meanwhile back within Midgar everyone knew that night had fallen even though they had the almost endless supply of night sky above them coming from Mako Reactors around the city. Within the Shin-Ra Building in the President's office the man named Shinra or most commonly referred to as President Shinra sat in his chair behind his desk smoking his usual cigar. In his office standing before him were professor Hojo and Hollander both competing for the position of head of the Science Department…

"How goes Project G?" President Shinra asked.

"Project G is moving along splendidly sir,"

"Those two failures successes?" Hojo mocked.

"Why you! Project G is superior to your Project S Hojo; in fact it is even more superior you'll see! And your one to talk about failed Projects Hojo, what ever happened to Project RU? Last I heard the lab blew up and your sample was destroyed," Hollander spoke smugly but Hojo seemed to just brush him off.

"Whatever happened to Project RU, Hojo?" President Shinra asked.

"Indeed the lab was destroyed due to technical difficulties and the specimen gone…" Hojo answered.

"What do you mean by "gone" exactly Professor Hojo?" President Shinra asked.

"The specimen's body was never recovered,"

"The flames were intense that day in the lab Hojo, no one could have survived that…is it possible that the specimen burned to ash in the fire?" President Shinra asked.

"Perhaps or…?"

"Or what?" Hollander this time asked curious.

"That the specimen is somehow alive."

"Fat chance," Hollander said "those flames were as hot as that of the boosters of a rocket ship." Hollander pointed out "Your specimen obviously was melted to a cinder."

"I don't know about that…" Hojo said.

"There is one thing that I wish to divulge with just you Hojo. Professor Hollander you are excused." President Shinra said as Hollander obeyed walking away and out of the office.

"What is it you wish to talk to me about Mr. President?"

"It regards Sephiroth's apprentice…"

"Ah yes SOLDIER 1st Rike, a truly interesting specimen I would say."

"Have you learned anything of the kids Sharingan?"

"Watching recordings of our machines watching his every move on his assignments with Sephiroth and reading of various reports we are able to divulge that his "Sharingan" allows him to copy his opponent in a way."

"Copy?"

"Yes for example if you were to move to your left he would do the same at the exact same time, moment and speed. Another would be saying the exact same words the other is saying ahead of time…as if he were reading your mind."

"You're saying that he could not only copy but also read minds! All of this with those freakish eyes of his?"

"Well not reading your mind in my opinion but predicting what's going to happen next I believe." Hojo said adjusting his glasses. "Not only that but it seems that it allows him to cast a sort of hypnosis abilities as well as illusions, this I have no idea how he is doing. It's frustrating seeing as how the video data we saw of him on assignment with Sephiroth within Wutai not lifting a finger making Wutai's kill each other, you don't know how much I wish to dissect those eyes of his Mr. President. Sometimes I wonder if it were possible to somehow in a way copy the genetic structure of this gene and implant it through genetic manipulation into SOLDIER's? If it were possible then we would have an entire unit of "Sharingan SOLDIER's""

President Shinra thought about an entire army of "Sharingan SOLDIER's" and it brought a lot of things to imagination that it was an opportunity that couldn't be passed up, Shin-Ra in a way would be invincible! "Why through genetics Hojo? Couldn't you do this with just extracting his cells and putting them in another SOLDIER? Wouldn't that give the individual these same eyes?"

"I took the liberty of conducting such an experiment, as you know I am a curious man…"

"And the results?" President Shinra asked sort of excited already imagining "Sharingan SOLDIER's" under his very command.

"Gruesome…" Hojo said remembering the experiment "In other words it was a complete failure."

"How so?" The president asked disappointed.

"Rike's cells rejected the subject and as a result killed the subject slowly and painfully, I repeated the trial six more times on other subjects but they too suffered the same fate as the others. It's almost as if his cells have a sort of fail-safe preventing one from ever gaining the Sharingan making it near impossible and attacking and killing the one injected like a virus? It's really amazing I would say…and sadly for them their seem to be no such cures to this, what I will dub, "Sharingan Virus" At first the subject was fine and I thought I had succeeded but then the subject started breath more rapidly, before my eyes I saw the subjects skin turn white which I have to assume was killing all the cells in the subjects body and lastly the eyes bled and then rotted dead. Within a minute the subject was dead, the others dying the same way…"

"And you want to try Gene Therapy instead correct?"

"Yes, I will transplant Rike's genes into subjects and see what it results too…hopefully a Sharingan SOLDIER like Rike himself and I request your permission."

"Granted."

Meanwhile within the village of Gongaga with the Turk Aura waking up in the middle of night going to the bathroom wearing nothing but a blouse and orange underwear (one's that look like boxers), she was only going to the bathroom and took notice that the boys left their room door open. She could see Reno and Rude sharing a bed with Reno snoring aloud and Rude for his size taking up most of the bed, Tseng was kicking back in his bed but there was no sign of Rike?

"_Don't tell me he jumped the gun?"_

She went to the bathroom doing her business and was heading back to her room when out from the corner of her eye she took notice of a black boot over the other revealed by the moon light shining through the window? She then brought her vision up a little higher seeing a male figure sitting in the chair that was within the shadows that had his left elbow atop the arm of the chair and the persons face leaned against his fist! She gasped seeing this thinking that it was an intruder but then she saw red eyes reveal themselves out from within the darkness of the shadows seeing three black commas in a triangular formation around a black eye pupil, those red eyes glowing within the dark as they looked at her!

"Evening…" The familiar voice said.

"Rike is that you?" Aura asked in a whisper.

"Who else would it be?"

"For the love of Gaia you gave me a heart attack sitting in dark there!" She argued in a whisper _"And those eyes…" _

"Sorry…I didn't mean to scare you." Rike said.

"What are you doing up this late anyway?"

"…..I couldn't sleep." He finally answered as he continued to stare at her which started to creep her out. It was beginning to make her uncomfortable…the way he was looking at her.

"_What's up with him…? He seems…different? The air when I'm around him has…changed?" _Aura was honestly actually the first time in her life…scared. "Right…?" She made her way to her room door grabbing the nob and looking over her shoulder Rike was still looking at her in the same manner, not moving his head but his eyes as they stayed upon her. She opened her door stepping inside and closing it looking at Rike who was still watching her even as she slowly closed the door "Good night…" She said before closing the door cutting off Rike's view. But even though she did she still felt as if he was looking at her? Like he had an x ray vision or something still watching her through the door? She slightly cracked open the door and to her horror he WAS STILL LOOKING HER DIRECTION! This made her quickly close the door and locked it stepping away…she was frightened. She didn't know why but she snakingly reached for the door knob again unlocking it…she cracked it open and took a peek expecting to see him still there but he was gone. She had to assume he went to bed… _"What the hell?"_

As Rike continued to watch Asura's door his Sharingan morphed into a Mangekyo Sharingan only it took the shape of a three pronged curved shuriken?

The coming mourning everyone was in the living room, Reno and Rude munching on something at the table that began to fight over the last piece of bacon, Tseng drinking coffee while looking over some papers on a desk, Rike was looking out the window while leaning against the wall. Aura was the last to come out fully dressed…

"There you are…I was beginning to worry," Tseng said.

"Sorry…" She looked at Rike who was looking out into Gongaga, Reno seeing this "rough night is all." Reno then had a nose bleed thinking Rike and Asura were getting busy.

"Whoa! You and Rike last night!" Reno said grabbing Rike's attention as he looked with a raised eyebrow at Reno. Reno wasn't able to dodge the gun clip thrown at him hitting him in the head!

"NOT LIKE THAT!" Aura yelled with a blush on her face. "Last night Rike creped me out is all." She said crossing her arms.

"Pardon me…?" Rike asked confused at the accusation. Tseng was as well…

"You were sitting in the dark over there," She said pointing to the empty chair not far from Rike "and looking at me like you were going to do something that I wouldn't appreciate. Care to explain yourself?"

"Huh?" This came from Reno and Rude was just as confused as Reno like Tseng was, even Rike as they looked at Aura in the same manner.

"What? Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"Aura you must have been dreaming…?" Reno said.

"Your time frame is off," Tseng said with his confused face still plastered.

"What are you talking about?" Aura asked confused, she saw Rike sitting in the dark last night?

"Aura…Rike just got back?" Rude said making a chill go up her spine.

"What?"

"I was never here last night…couldn't sleep, walked in just ten minutes ago." Rike revealed to her.

"Then who was…?" Her focus was on the chair she supposedly saw Rike sitting in last night. Now that she took notice Rike didn't wear boots but was wearing black sandals meaning only one thing and the others knew the answer as well…there was an intruder last night!

Within an undisclosed location outside the village of Gongaga a male wearing a black trench coat was wrapping white bandages around his head covering his face in front of a mirror. After finishing he brought the black hood that was part of the coat over and upon his head, the shadow of the hood covering the top half of his bandaged face, the lower being his jaw the only thing revealed. The Mysterious AVALANCHE Leader of the Western Continent wore an all-black fashion as well, similar to a SOLDIER only he wore the black coat with it. He grabs his sheathed katana removing it half way from its scabbard checking its condition and slid it back in. Behind him a door opened revealing it to be an AVALANCHE henchman holding a machine gun rifle with him.

"Sir?"

"What?" The Mysterious AVALANCHE Leader asked in a tone not wanting man's presence right now.

"I came to inform you sir that Elfe in the Eastern Continent has taken over leadership in the place of Hydra sir…just as you said would happen."

"Then if I already knew this would happen why bother coming here and waste my time?"

"I-I thought you should know sir." The henchman said as he gulped afterwards.

"Get out." The Mysterious AVALANCHE Leader demanded and the order was quickly obeyed as the door was shut leaving him alone. "I'm ready when you are…SOLDIER 1st Class Rike."

* * *

**Yeah I know it was short...but hey there isn't nothing wrong with short chapters. Hope you liked the chapter, please tell me if I got anything wrong or confusing about the whole conversation between President Shinra and Hojo so that I will go back and fix it and make it make sense. Thanks and until next time!**


	6. Chapter 5 Gongaga Part III

**Well finally I finished up this chapter, read and review but most of all enjoy! Inspiration for this chapter came from the new Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Trailer with that song Wrong that played and about time they gave it a release date in early 2013, cant wait to play that game!**

* * *

Well they found it and just to Connor Fair's suspicion it was near a power source outside Gongaga, the power source being one of the three large main cables that ran to the power plant of Gongaga. Reno, Rude, Tseng and Aura the Turks along with SOLIDER 1st Class Rike were observing from a high point ducked down by the edge of a cliff. The AVALANCHE Base was well hidden and large, the dirt that blew covered the compounds concrete and the buildings, one of them being larger and taller than the rest, were painted in a camouflage design that matched the ground of the wasteland ground. Even trucks that the AVALANCHE terrorists and Wutai's drove were cameo in the same fashion, it was smart and when they first arrived searching for the base they had to look really hard until they found it. Just as Connor predicted they were of course near a power source stealing power to supply to themselves with the use of many cables and other equipment. There were also a lot of bodies down there as well that Tseng was observing through his binoculars occasionally zooming in on some areas, the had to be about more than 100 strong and they were only a number of 5. You would take notice of Wutai staying in set up cameo tents outside on the compound, and Tseng was able to take notice that there were helicopters covered up by a large blanket.

"How many do you see Tseng?" Aura asked who was crouched down next to the Turk.

"One hundred maybe more?" Tseng answered as he continued to observe.

"Not to be the bearer of bad new but we can't take that, not even with SOLDIER Boy here?" Reno said pointing his thumb to the SOLDIER to his right who gave him a glare as well as a growl for the nickname.

"We are not going to attack yet, first we will have Rike infiltrate and gather us information with us listening in through a wire that is attached to him." Tseng said and it was true Rike did have a wire attached to him hidden under his shirt, the Turk looked to Rike away from his binoculars "How will you infiltrate without them even taking suspicion of you? Even with that technique of yours they are sure to notice a new face?"

"That'll be no problem, I'll just kill one of those AVALANCHE idiots hiding his body and take up his appearance. Once that is done no one will be able to tell I am me," Rike said.

"Why not just knock them out?" Reno asked but Rike ignored him as he took a stepped off over the edge of the cliff falling down through the air "Did I say something wrong?"

The young SOLDIER fell down through the air landing on the ground on one knee with one hand on the ground; it was a 100 foot drop. Rike then preceded ahead forward to where the AVALANCHE Base was sneaking his way up a hill and peeking over it he saw the compound below surrounded by a gate that was of course not to his surprise electrical so he would have to jump over it when no one was looking and hope no one would see him. His target was to get to those crates on the other side of the gate below him that were stacked against the small building storage. Seeing people move away from the area he took this as his opportunity and slides down the hill to the bottom and quickly jumping and flipping over just the top of the electrical fence, the SOLDIER landing on the other side to quickly ducking behind some crates as an AVALANCHE soldier that thought he heard something rounded the corner. It was a good thing there was only one so when he got close enough Rike emerged out of the shadows disarming the man first of his machine gun to quickly wrapping his hand around his mouth and then with his free hand quickly unsheathing his sword and stabbing it through the man's heart killing him instantly! Quickly he and the dead body ducked in the shadows behind the crates.

As Tseng was watching Rike's actions through his binoculars he sees an AVALANCHE soldier emerge from where Rike was ducked behind who picked up the rifle that was on the ground to looking to his left and right, the AVALANCHE soldier looking up to Tseng's direction giving a nod.

"Well…?" Reno asked.

"Infiltration complete," Tseng said.

"So what do we do now?" Rude asked.

"We listen in and when it's time we will call in for the troops,"

With the disguised Rike via Transformation jutsu he walked across the open compound passing up AVALACNHE and Wutai soldiers walking at a normal pace toward the largest building. Tseng was not kidding with the numbers of these guys here as he walked on with a truck passing him by just behind him filled with heavy equipment. The trick with infiltration is that you shouldn't panic, you have to remain calm and act normally such as not looking around so much as well as walking at a normal pace and not move in a rush because then someone would get suspicious. As the disguised Rike was walking toward the base doors an AVALANCHE soldier was about to pass him by gave him a wave and Rike waved back, the two passing one another without incident. That's when Rike noticed as he approached the door that there was a panel that required a digit code and Rike inwardly cursed himself. However to his luck an AVALANCHE soldier made his way to the panel and was about to type in his code so Rike took the opportunity, good thing they wore these helmets similar to Shin-Ra Troops, and activated his Sharingan copying down the 20 digit code. Once that terrorist went inside through the door closing it behind him Rike went up to the panel and started inputting the same code as the camera to his upper left, there is always one at doors like these, watched him.

"_2-0-9-7-4-8-5-7-3-2-0-1-8-4-7-3-9-2-8-0" _Rike repeated in his thoughts and the door buzzing open allowing him access as the red light above the panel flashed to green, the SOLDIER walking in.

Now within the AVALANCHE Base the young SOLDIER walked the halls along with other soldiers of AVALANCHE and that's when he took notice of an interesting room called Materia Research and Development, as he was passing by the window he can see into the lab seeing scientists working on an odd Materia with AVALANCHE soldiers stationed inside armed with their rifles. Seeing the looks on the faces they didn't look happy and seeing as there were armed AVALANCHE soldiers in there with them Rike had to assume that they are being forced to work held against their will. The Materia was catching his interest seeing it held in place by lab equipment within a large tube; the Materia itself was fluxing with a pulse of some sort as Mako energy from within a small Mako canister was being pumped inside making the Materia react. There were also a rat inside of the same tube as the Materia with multiple pieces of cheese inside and to Rike's amazement as the pulse of energy from the Materia hit it suddenly was moving at high speeds all around the pieces of cheese! Ten seconds later the pulse of energy stopped and there the rat was still inside now crawling around at normal pace with all the cheese devoured. That was some strange Materia, whatever it was?

Rike came to another hallway and when he did a large group of AVALANCHE soldiers came passing by with him stopping just in time without colliding with them, as he waited one of them tapped him on the shoulder getting his attention…

"Come on Miller the leader is briefing us!" The AVALALANCHE soldier said.

"Yeah!" Rike said jogging up to and now walking next to the AVALANCHE soldier that called out to him as Miller.

"So how are the wife and kids?" The AVALANCHE soldier asked making Rike silent as he just realized he killed a man that had a family, the AVALANCHE soldier took notice of his odd silence "Hey you okay man?"

"Y-Yeah I'm fine…" Rike took a peek at the man's tag seeing his name was Davidson Scotts "I'm fine David." Rike answered "The kids are fine and all,"

"And Liz?"

Rike had to assume that Liz was Miller's wife "She's doing great."

"That's good." Davidson said.

"Ever seen the leaders face before?" Rike asked.

"Dude no one's seen his face, I don't understand why he has to keep those bandages wrapped around his face either? All of us know that he doesn't have any burns or any other sort of injuries to his face so why keep his identity secret? We don't even know that guy's name? Annoying isn't it?"

"Yeah," Rike answered honestly. No one knew what or seen that man's face before nor does anyone have a name. Why did this man want to keep his identity so secret that he wouldn't allow his own men to see his face or know his name?

"We may not know his name or seen his face but he is one hell of swordsman not to mention he's quick on his feet. I mean the guys a badass! Remember when he cut the chopper in half with one strike of his sword?"

"Yeah I do," Rike lies learning more about this man. From this guy being described as a badass something told Rike that this leader was not to be taken lightly and sounded difficult. His skill with the blade being able to cut a chopper in half was also to be noted revealing this man was skilled in the art of the blade.

"Here we go," David said and Rike looked back ahead as he within the group of AVALANCHE soldiers walked through double automatically open doors entering a room or more like a base of commands where people on computers are seen working and there ahead being a table. Behind the table stood the man Rike and the Turks have been trying to uncover information on, the mysterious Western Continent AVALANCHE Leader having bandages wrapped around his face concealing his identity and the black hood of his coat over his head. On his back attached was his sword in its metal scabbard that was attached to the back of his coat, the hilt of his blade being behind his left shoulder revealing that this man was left handed while Rike was right.

"Well congratulations to all of you for your slow walking…I'm a hundred years now." The AVALANCHE Leader said as he crossed his arms getting a laugh out of the men before him "Shut. Up." He demanded and everyone immediately went silent "Since none of our so called spies couldn't find the Turks and SOLDIER that has recently arrived here in Gongaga yesterday I had to take matters in my own hands doing their job for them, we can confirm four Turks and only one SOLDIER." The leader said and clicked a button on the table and that when pictures displayed within it, the AVALANCHE soldiers and the disguised Rike himself walking up looking down at it. There he saw the pictures of Tseng, Aura, Reno and Rude! "Upon me finding their base I decided to pay a late night visit last night and this is the information I have gathered including that of one other," The AVALANCHE Leader clicked another button and all the pictures and info on the Turks shrinks into the background with a new one popping up and Rike was not surprised at looking at a picture of himself along with his info but not everything was there. It had his name, age, date of birth, his skills and abilities as well as his rank in SOLDIER being 1st Class and his known aliases. "I am pretty sure all of you know who this child is and he is NOT to be underestimated. SOLDIER 1st Class Rike, known for defeating The Hydra following the man's imprisonment and being the apprentice of Sephiroth himself as well as his actions in Wutai lands. He didn't earn the name Jack the Ripper for nothing people so if you don't want to end up in pieces I suggest you don't get to close and try not to look into his eyes unless you want to end up killing your own comrade." This man whoever he was knew how to counter against Rike's Sharingan; it was true you just had to avoid looking into his eyes that was better said easy than done. "Dismissed," On order all of the AVALANCHE soldiers turned, including Rike, to make their leave "You!"

"_Have I been found out? No that can't be possible," _Rike thought as he looked over his shoulder to the AVALANCHE Leader, Rike pointing at himself.

"Yes you, stay."

"_Remain calm Rike…" _He told himself in his head.

Outside of the compound still atop the cliff side Aura was becoming increasingly worried having just heard the leader of AVALANCHE call Rike to stay behind, fearing that he has been found out.

"Tseng we have to move in!"

"Shin-Ra Troops are on their way," Tseng said having got off communication with the strike force that was now incoming. Aura loading her gun…

Back within the AVALANCHE Base of Commands room Rike was standing in front of the table with the AVALANCHE Leader standing across from him on the other side who then said aloud "Leave us!" The remaining individuals in the command center got up walking out of the three separate exits from the room. Once they were out the doors they closed automatically and locked themselves preventing anyone from entering…the AVALANCHE Leader placed his hands atop the edge of the table in front of him and leaned forward looking at the disguised Rike. "That's very cute technique," All of a sudden the man's two right pointer and middle fingers were slapped against Rike's forehead and POOF! When the smoke cleared revealed to be SOLDIER 1st Class Rike who had a shocked look on his face "SOLDIER 1st Class Rike." The young SOLDIER jumped back and away taking aim with the rifle he had, this only made the AVALANCHE Leader chuckle "Come now Rike, do you really think that is going to harm me?"

"I didn't think it would," Rike said as he dropped the weapon to the ground, the two just stared at one another as the AVALANCHE Leader walked around the table not breaking eyesight with Rike until he was standing in Rike's original position, the AVALANCHE Leader crossing his arms over his chest and smirks. Rike took note that the man was a little taller than him "How did you know it was me?" Rike asked, that Transformation jutsu was better than how the Wutai's version. The only way one would have to disable the jutsu he was in was with chakra.

"Do you think you're the only one with the knowledge of chakra? Well I'll be happy to inform you that you're not, I was able to see through your technique from a mile away when you first entered this room."

"Why not give me away when your men were here?" Rike asked.

"Because I wanted to meet you for a while now, face to face and now I am finally looking at Rike. The man who defeated The Hydra…the apprentice of Sephiroth…the slave of Shin-Ra,"

"Excuse me?" Rike asked glaring daggers at the man.

"You think they company is the light? You haven't seen nothing or learned nothing yet. You and your friends in SOLDIER including Sephiroth are all nothing but puppets being manipulated by the company and its president to do it and his every bidding. The President says jump and you all ask how high,"

"You're calling the company corrupt? Ha! You and AVALANCHE are the corrupt ones, killing innocent people and threatening their lives!" Rike countered.

"Tell me Rike," The AVALANCHE Leader leans against the table "What is the death toll on innocents that AVALANCHE has committed on innocent bystanders? None…if you wanted dead innocents today then maybe you should've let The Hydra be long ago and you would have your dead innocents." The AVALANCHE Leader countered.

"AVALANCHE is still like the previous and I will bring you all down!"

"Awe now you're just still angry over the village you failed to protect,"

Rike in anger drew his High Frequency Sword that crackled with blue electricity around its blade for a second "FUCK YOU!" **(AN: I am sorry that I didn't note this but Rike's HF Sword is supposed to be like that of Raiden's in Metal Gear Rising Revengeance) **

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…temper, temper." The AVALANCHE Leader said as he reached over his left shoulder grabbing the hilt of his blade and drawing it out of its scabbard spinning it once in hand, his blade was almost similar to Rike's as well as being curved. "You know that attitude is never going to get yourself killed one day and not laid with Aura, the girl really likes you." That's when the whole base shake from an explosion outside, alarms blaring, and lights in the room going dark only to have flashing red lights as the AVALANCHE Leader took advantage rushing Rike and the SOLDIER was blocking the strikes of his opponent in the dark red flashing room. When the room went dark all that can be heard was the sound of clanging swords and when the red lights flash their battle can be seen for only a second as the AVLANCHE Leader can be seen flipping over Rike's blade horizontally! In the next flash and Rike is seen humping in the air while spinning in a complete 360 avoiding his opponent's blade that was grinded through the floor below him! When the next flash comes along Rike's blade is seen cutting down through the table and the AVALANCHE Leader avoiding it just barely as electricity crackled out of the now destroyed table! The next flash from the emergency lights show Rike being kicked through the air and through the door he came in to taking a tumble on the hallway floor that was clear as day, Rike picking himself up and from at the end of the hall behind him AVALANCHE soldiers are seen rounding its corner taking aim at him! The young SOLDIER spins his blade in front of him quickly as he was deflecting bullets away but then managed to reflect them sending them back at the gunners who ducked as bullets hit the walls around them. Rike took this as an opportunity and casted a powerful Fira spell, the fireball shooting from the palm of his left hand toward his targets that upon impact blew up! "Flashy…"

Rike quickly turned while spinning his sword holding his sword up besides his right looking at the AVALANCHE Leader that walked out of the darkness of the command center _"This guy is like a SOLDIER!" _

"You're not bad SOLDIER 1st Class Rike," The AVALANCHE Leader said.

Rike and the AVALANCHE Leader charge one another but then another explosion is felt and the ceiling before both of them caves in blocking one from the other, as the SOLDIER picked himself up he did see a small opening where he can see through to the AVALANCHE Leader who picked himself up as well looking at Rike. That's when Rike to his complete shock saw his eyes under the darkness of his hood _"That's not possible!" _Rike was looking into the eyes of the Sharingan, his own unconsciously activating as the two stare at one another "Sharingan?"

"Looks like our battle have been cut short," The AVALANCHE Leader spins his blade in hand and sheaths it back in its scabbard on his back "pity." The building shakes again from another powerful impact, the AVALANCHE Leader turning and walking away…

"STOP! Who are you? How do you have the Sharingan?"

"All will be explained in due time Rike…we will meet again, that I promise you. As for a name…you call me Dakuso, until next time." The revealed Dakuso turns right around corner escaping and the opening Rike was looking through caves in.

"Dakuso…?" Rike whispered the name feeling another shake it was time to go and so he proceeded to make his own way out intending to go back the same way he came in. He came to passing the window of the Materia Research and Development Lab but stops as up ahead a squad of AVALANCHE soldiers revealed themselves with three of them taking a knee and aiming RPG's at him "Oh shit…" They fired the RPG's and Rike jumped breaking through the window into the lab landing atop its table knocking equipment over to falling on the floor, an explosion going off from the rockets! However he also knocked over the cylinder that contained the mysterious Materia as the glass broke and the lightning crackling Materia rolling over the table to dropping over its edge. Rike seeing the glowing blue Materia that was crackling with sparks of electricity around its form, unknowing of any consequences that might occur, reaches out and catches it in his hand. When he does however it sends out a pulse and the glass cylinder that contained the Materia rolls off the edge only to really slow down before Rike's eyes! "What the hell?" He watched as the really slow falling container continue to make its course to the floor and then took notice of other rolling test tubes rolling along the floor really slow before his eyes and even noticed small crackles of blue electricity around his form, it was as if time slowed down to him? Then 10 seconds later everything resumes it original speed and course as the glass cylinder hits the floor breaking on the floor. He looked at the mysterious Materia in his hand and asked "What kind of Materia is this? One that slows down the fabric of time?" A Materia like that would be fascinating and to think Rike has such a thing in his possession! He then smirked…seeing as company rules state that Materia found on the field can be there's Rike can keep it; in that case he will call this Space-Time Materia.

Seeing one of the three empty openings in his blade along the guard of his blade he pushed it in the center of his as it can only have up to three, the Space-Time Materia now in place seemed to glow an infinite blue with what looked like a storm of thunder and lightning inside of it. Now seeing as it only had ten seconds of use it had to be the Materia's limit and had a recharge time of 20 seconds but the use of this Materia seemed to take energy out of him, he would have to use this wisely. He stood himself up walking out of the doorway back into the hall with his sword held down in its angle to his right facing the AVALANCHE soldiers that were at the end of the hallway, the three taking aim with RPG's once again and Rike rushed them! They let loose their rockets as the fired out of their launchers and Rike activated his Space-Time Materia using Mako as it sent out a pulse and his form starting to electrify with blue electricity! The rockets were moving at him slow and Rike moving at his normal speed, he cut the first one in half and then the second and finally the third with the ten seconds running out he slide along the floor on one knee until coming to a stop holding his blade out to his right as both his hands were gripped around its hilt tightly. Behind him the three rockets all split and land harmlessly on the floor! Rike opened his eyes and glares at the freaked out AVALANCHE terrorists with his Sharingan eyes…

"H-H-He moved so fast!"

That was all one of them got to say as Rike charged them and the only thing that can be described that of what happened to the soldiers and what Rike did to them was hack and slash, the young SOLDIER living up to his alias Jack the Ripper!

The door Rike entered through into the base is slashed and falls forward and stepping out of the base was Rike with blood all over his cloths, wetting his hair and leaking down his face. On the compound he can see Shin-Ra Troopers fighting against Wutai and AVALANCHE soldiers, there were even SOLDIER 3rd's and few SOLDIER 2nd's cutting down the enemy and the Wutai's! He was seen by nearby AVALANCHE and Wutai soldiers that took note of his appearance seeing him covered in blood as he held his blade aside, blood dripping from the tip of the blade to the ground staining it. This brought fear upon the ones that took aim on him firing their rifles upon him! Rike ran toward the group spinning his blade in front of him in twists and turns deflecting bullets, upon reaching them he began cutting them up slashing some in half or cutting them in two slashing at different angles, everybody he cut up sprayed blood on him only adding to his soaked blooded form. He came dashing at one more deflecting away his bullets with his blade and swiped the AVALANCHE soldier's feet from under him tripping the man, this is when Rike decided to activate his Space-Time Materia as the body of the man was in the air at slow motion, the Materia having slowed down time and proceeded to deliver a multiple of slashes upon the body! After the Space-Time Materia reached its limit with time resuming at its normal speed the body of the AVALANCHE soldier split into multiple pieces spraying blood on him! The young SOLDIER was now surrounded by a pool of blood from the victims of his blade…the SOLDIER swishing his blade out making the blood come off staining the ground only adding to the blood.

Rike took note that he saw Genesis on the field as he used his attack Homing upon an enemy chopper, the multiple red balls of energy all colliding upon the chopper from all sides, the air vehicle blowing up in the air. Rike had to assume that Genesis was part of the attacking force, that when Rike took notice of another chopper in the air taking aim at him! The chopper fired two missiles toward him and this is when he activated his Space-Time Materia once again, he jumped to and atop one missile to the other and toward and above the chopper, him delivering a series of slashes as he can see them appear! Rike landing back on the ground on one knee with his left hand upon the ground and holding his sword out to his right, the Space-Time Materia reaching its ten second limit just in time as the chopper splits into pieces and blows up! He then took notice of AVALANCHE soldiers atop one of the buildings of the compound all aiming guns over its ledge down at a group of unsuspecting SOLDIER 3rd's! He wasn't going to let that happen as he sheathed his blade pulling out his bow and a Bomb Arrow, took aim as the center of the arrow was blinking a red bleep and let it loose as if fired through the air into one of the bodies of the AVALANCHE soldier's, the arrow giving off one last bleep after its rapid bleeping and blew up killing him and taking the others around with him!

Genesis was taking down AVALANCHE and Wutai soldiers of his own having counted a body count of 34 so far, one he burned to a crisp with his powerful use in fire type spells. However there was one that was running at Genesis from behind who took notice as he looked over his right shoulder but then motioned his eyes up seeing Rike descending down flipping with his blade doing the same before his form, the AVALANCHE soldier looks up to see a sword stab down through his chest with Rike landing atop the hilt of his blade nailing the man down into the ground! Rike looks to Genesis as he was still atop the hilt of his HF Sword, Genesis taking notice of his bloody form and said "Jack the Ripper indeed." That's when Genesis heard another chopper but this one was not attacking as it was flying away through the air and that's when Genesis took notice of the black coated figure hanging out from the open door from the air vehicle looking at them but more like Rike. Rike seeing the man stood atop the hilt of his sword pulling over his bow and an arrow taking aim and fired! However it would not be that easy as Dakuso repelled the arrow away with the blunt side of his sword, the man sheathing his blade and gives Rike a mock salute using only his pointer and middle fingers and goes inside the chopper, the air vehicle flying off and Dakuso escaping. The battle on the compound had been won by the Shin-Ra forces…

"Friend of yours…?" Genesis asked.

The young SOLDIER hopping off his blade to grasping the hilt of his sword, Genesis taking notice of the Space-Time Materia "He's no friend of mine," Rike said as he pulled his blade out of the body of the dead soldier swishing off the blood that stained it and sheathing it. "He has the same eyes as me Genesis…?"

"You mean that Sharingan of yours? I always thought you were the only one to have it?" Genesis asked as he faced Rike.

"Me too…?"

There was a silence between the two as Rike continued to watch in the direction Dakuso took off in, that's when Tseng along with Reno, Rude and Aura came into the picture. All of them taking notice of Rike blood soaked form with his active Sharingan eyes, Aura didn't like seeing him like this covered in the blood of his enemies…

"Are you alright?" Tseng asked.

"….I'm fine,"

"You need a bath because you stink!" Reno said getting elbowed in the shoulder by Rude.

Aura walked up to "Come on let's get you," She planned a hand atop his shoulder but immediately brought away feeling the blood on her hands and her turning it looking at it "washed up." She finished looking at Rike seeing he was not affected by the blood that covered him _"So much blood…and he isn't affected by it at all? It's as if it's natural to him? He's use to it as if this has happened to him his entire life?" _Regardless she placed her hands back on his shoulder snapping him out of his stare as he looked over his shoulder at her "Let's get you cleaned up," She said as he let her guide him to a building, each step he made left a footprint of blood that Genesis watched, as Rike was guided by Aura toward the building SOLDIER and Trooper couldn't help but take a glance at him seeing his blood soaked covered form as he left behind the blood trail of the bottom of his shoes.

"Man dude…" Reno looked over to the carnage that Rike caused seeing the dismembered body parts of Rike's victims, he actually almost felt like he wanted to puke. "How does he keep his sanity?" Reno asked no one in particular and then looked over to Genesis "What do you think?" Reno only got a look from Genesis and walked away without getting an answer "Well you're quite the fun talker huh?"

Rike was in the shower of one of the buildings with all his cloths still on, he was sitting in an Indian style position with his hands rested atop his lap meditating as the water poured on and flowed over his figure, the blood flowing off his form as it went down the drain. He was not alone in the room as Aura was standing aside watching…

"_It's crazy…at first when I saw him he was like a sweet boy but now…he like a monster…the way he killed those men, he may not show it but he is so angry. The way he was soaked in their blood…like a monster." _Aura thought as she felt sad for the boy…the SOLDIER. "Are you okay…?"

"….I'm fine," Was his reply.

With their mission done and on their way back to Midgar were multiple helicopters; in one of them was Rike along with Aura, Tseng, Reno and Rude even Genesis was present within it. The two Turks Reno and Rude piloting the helicopter, Tseng sitting next to Genesis who was reading his book LOVELESS while takes a glance at the now sleeping Rike over his shoulder. Yes Rike was sleeping seeing as he didn't the night before and was now clean of all that blood, the thing was he was resting his head and it was atop Aura's lap who didn't mind. The young SOLDIER during the ride back went dozed off and fell asleep with his figure hunched over but not wanting to leave him like that Aura was the one that brought him down to rest his head on her lap while Tseng brought his legs atop the seats, this happened minutes ago and Genesis chuckled at it. Reno looked over his shoulder seeing the sleeping Rike as Aura brushed her hand through his hair…

"Geez how does he sleep?" Reno asked.

"Huh? Rude asked hearing his question.

"The kid gutted those guys back there and here he is sleeping on Aura's lap like a baby? I mean I would be having nightmares about now," Reno said.

"You work with him in SOLDIER right?" Aura said asking Genesis a question.

"Occasionally yes,"

"Is he always…angry?" Aura asked.

That was an interesting question for Genesis "Don't let his appearance on the outside fool you…he may not look angry on the out but in the in is a whole different level of sorrow…and rage. You may think that is bad but…"

"But…?"

"You know how they say anger can be like that of a double edge sword? Good and bad?"

"Yes,"

"There is no double edge for him…His anger…all that rage inside him, it doesn't make him weaker as most would say."

"Are you saying that it only makes him stronger?" Tseng asked.

"Yes," Was Genesis's answer…

* * *

**That is it for Rike's assignment in Gongaga and his seond assignment completed, until next time!**


	7. Chapter 6 The Unknown SOLDIER

**Another chapter for Final Fantasy Legacy of Sephiroth: RIZING and for "SOLDIER Rike", yeah that's what I am going to call this Rike to different from "Assassin Rike" in my other story Assassin's Creed Guardians of Free Will. If you havnt read that one go and read it and enjoy and I will be releasing its next chapter hopefully today, if not then tommorrow. Any way I want to ask for someone to review to give me one good review for this story, I would appreciate and dont get me wrong the other reviews for this story are not bad and all I just want to see one as good as my other story that everyone loves and reads the most. Assassin Rike is liked more better than SOLDIER Rike and I sometimes think the reason is because of the two reviews I have for this story, some readers before they read the story check the reviews first deciding if to read it or not. Anyway read the chapter and enjoy! Any questions then please feel free to ask.**

* * *

He started to stir in the bed as he rolled over atop it digging his face into the pillow, that's when he realized the softness of the pillow? He opened his eyes seeing him in a bed and realizing that he was in his room and he sat himself up still dressed in the same clothing, his weapons were put away as he saw his sheathed High Frequency Sword placed atop the table next to his bed and his bow Hawkeye and arrows in the closed case. "Oh that's right I fell asleep within the helicopter," Rike said as he rubbed his eyes. He looked at the clock seeing it was 7 in the morning and that's when the windows to his room opened up…well more like the image of the wall fading revealing the clear windows showing Midgar. He got up out of bed popping his neck to walking for the bathroom to take himself a nice hot shower, after to drying his body and hair to brushing his teeth and putting on a new set of cloths of his SOLDIER 1st Class outfit that was still the same to equipping his sword but leaving Hawk Eye behind. Now it was seven thirty and Rike seated at his table having cooked himself breakfast of eggs and bacon with a glass of orange juice. At seven forty he was now washing his dish and glass to putting them away to exiting his room emerging into the hall where other rooms of SOLDIER.

"Morning," The voice of Genesis said as he stops in front of Rike "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah I did…who brought me to my room?" Rike asked.

"Sephiroth who else, you were carried like a little baby," Genesis teased.

"Shut up,"

"You're the talk of the town today you know," Genesis said.

"What?"

"Your exploits yesterday did not go unnoticed or unknown, everyone in the company and the city knows about it thanks to the Shin-Ra Network."

"Why does the public or anyone else need to know?" Rike asked annoyed. Why did the public need to know about it? That didn't make sense to him?

"I don't know," Genesis said as he walked away. "But I can guarantee you that a fan club has been made after you,"

"You're joking right?" Rike asked only to hear chuckling from Genesis "Genesis…?"

"Little tip don't stand in the same spot for more than 10 seconds," Genesis said before turning a corner.

"He has to be joking," Rike said _"A fan club…that would be seriously annoying!" _

Rike arrived on the SOLDIER Floor via elevator and as soon as the elevator went ding the doors opened and he walked into a swarm of SOLDIER's of 3rd and 2nd's, he didn't go unnoticed as he walked and next thing he knew he was surrounded by a bunch of 3rd's asking him questions.

"Sir we heard how you decimated those terrorists!" One said.

"And how you destroyed the chopper in a flash, said you were like super-fast!" Another said "How did you do it?"

"Who was the hot Turk that took you to the showers?" This 3rd rate began elbowing his shoulder "She your girlfriend huh? You two get nasty in those showers?"

"No she is not my girlfriend and we did not have sex," Rike answered. Rike managed to get into the Training Room with the door closing behind him shutting the voices of the bombarding questions of the 3rd rates, after all only 2nd and 1st rates were allowed in this room. He leaned himself against the door rubbing his eyes with the fingers of one of his hands, that's when he realized that he wasn't alone in the room and took notice his least favorite doctor and scientist…Professor Hojo.

"Well isn't this a surprise seeing you here Rike," Hojo said.

"Professor Hojo…?"

"I heard of what happened at the AVALANCHE based near Gongaga, quite the gory description if you ask me. Hehehehe! Jack the Ripper doesn't hesitate to show himself, no wonder you are feared by Wutai as well as some of your fellow members of SOLDIER."

"I don't find this amusing Hojo," Rike said in a tone that said don't even dare try to push my buttons.

"I read the report provided by the Turks, said you fought against the Eastern AVALANCHE Leader, said he had the same eyes…Sharingan…like you,"

"….."

"Tell me, how was he?" Hojo asked.

"Why…?"

"I am only a curious man Rike,"

"The man…whoever he is…was challenging, his skill with the blade was great."

"Was he now…?"

"I'm going to find that man…when I do I am not only going to get some answers but rip those bandages off his face." Rike spoke with confidence only to get a chuckle from Hojo "Has anyone ever told you your laugh are annoying?" Rike said making the man stop giving him a glare but Rike paid no heed as he exited the Training Room, the door closing behind him as the young SOLDIER.

"Bark while you can little pup…soon my Prototype Sharingan SOLDIER will be ready, and you will be obsolete," Hojo said and chuckles to himself praising his own genius.

"There is something seriously wrong with that guy," Rike said to himself as he made his way toward the elevator and pressing a button calling the elevator once reaching the panel, the ding was soon heard and it opened up and Rike stepping inside of it, and reached his finger for the button for a basement level floor that was below the Shin-Ra Building. As he reached for the button…

"Hey Rike!" Zack's voice called and Rike looked ahead to see that it was indeed SOLDIER 3rd Class Zack jogging his way and it made Rike mash the button with his finger hoping to make the elevator doors close faster "I need to ask you something!" Zack was too late as the doors closed in front of his face "Just wanted to know if he delivered my letter?" And then he heard the ring of his phone in his pocket "Hold on it was in my pocket the entire time?"

The elevator Rike was riding went down many floors and finally reaching its destination the doors opened up to a floor where all the junk of Shin-Ra went, pieces of machinery or equipment that one was free to salvage. If there was one thing Rike doing it was building things as he found peace in doing it and was something that would keep him preoccupied. He walked out of the elevator seeing the piles of junk and went to climbing atop one of the piles looking for anything he can use; sometimes he will just grab something at random and try to rebuild to keep himself preoccupied. In fact it was this place where he found the necessary equipment to build the High Frequency Sword and he was still upgrading the thing, the sword he had could put out high frequency around it making it more deadly and there was another addition he was working on to making the blade conduct with electricity. Minutes later as Rike were searching the junk…

"I thought I'd find you here!"

Rike looked down toward the source of the voice being Sephiroth "Hey there Sephi!" Rike said with a smile while giving him a wave.

Yeah Rike would call Sephiroth that, in fact he was the only one "So what are you looking for this time? Additional parts to upgrade your sword?" Sephiroth asked.

"No not really," Rike said as he threw some junk aside down the pile.

"I noticed that you have Materia in your blade," Sephiroth said.

"Yeah, seeing as AVALANCHE doesn't have any use for it I thought I'd take it." Rike said.

"What does it allow you to do? I'm curious…is that what allows you to move at such high speed?"

"Well it has a limit ten seconds which is total bummer," Rike said as he threw another piece of junk over his shoulder. "When I use it time around slows down somehow? So I call it Space-Time Materia. I am allowed to keep it right?"

"Company rules states you can keep whatever Materia you find on the field," Sephiroth said.

"The ten second limit to the Space-Time Materia is not the only problem but two other, one being that it takes 20 seconds of recharge to be used again and the other being I can only use it four times so four is my limit." Rike explained.

"Then you will have to use it wisely then, from what I read in the reports you were able to dodge the missiles of an attack chopper thanks to that Materia."

"Not dodged, more like jumped atop them." Rike said as he crouched down reaching for something.

"You were able to do that?" Sephiroth asked almost stunned.

"Yeah!" Rike said looking over his shoulder down at Sephiroth with the smile he always wore when he was around the SOLDIER Hero.

"This Materia is powerful Rike; you should make sure that it doesn't end up in the wrong hands." He saw Rike rise up holding something within his hands? It looked like pieces of metal but when Rike pushed them together they formed a sort of beak, in fact it looked like a visor only that it had no eye holes and plain steel? "What is it you got there?"

Rike was looking at the interlocking pieces of metal and brought them apart flipping them seeing the inside of them only for Rike to notice metal ear muff openings on each one? He even took notice of the half rectangular screens that were inside each that if he closed them together again he would have a full rectangular screen? He put each pieces of the visor on both his ears and pushed them forward and what do you know they closed together, his face now covered by a steel blank visor as only the top of his forehead can be revealed **(AN: If you haven't already guessed it would be that visor Raiden's wears over his face in Metal Gear Rising Revengeance) **He took the pieces of the visor off his face and looked down at Sephiroth and answered "Something useful!"

Rike was now in his room working using tools that allowed him to rebuild, he had worked throughout the day with this visor, as he managed to look within it he noticed that the entire tech was old and obviously needed to be replaced. At least he cleaned the plates of the visor to a degree that they shined their once silver steel color, it being so well polished and clean that you can use it as a mirror to see your own face and cleaning the inside of it the visor as well. So he got to grab some additional parts he picked up and began going to work of replacing the old tech that was inside the Visor plates as well as the mechanical ear muffs inside the visor and the gears that would push the visor to a close in front of his face and pull back to reveal his face. He was too distracted by his work that he didn't notice Sephiroth come in and decided to watch as he watched Rike, his apprentice and to be living legacy, work on his project. Whenever Rike went on a mission with him and he saw how strong he was on the battle field he couldn't be filled with pride, after all Rike was his apprentice. Thirty minutes later he took notice that Rike was finished, he had repaired the separate pieces of the visor now looking new! Sephiroth wasn't surprised; it was like Rike could fix anything…

"There is just one more piece I need to add," Rike said.

"Yes, you can't just have both separate parts of the visor apart like that due to the risk of losing one piece then it's useless. You need to find a way to keep them together and I believe I have an idea?" Sephiroth said.

"What do you have in mind?" Rike asked.

"Perhaps if you had some metal plating tracing over your lower jaw line attaching up to the bottom of the earmuffs of the individual pieces of the visor?" Sephiroth said.

"That's a good idea!" Rike said "I have just the metal to make such a piece!" It took Rike another thirty minutes bending it to the appropriate shape he wanted with his tools and carefully screwing in the bolts to attach the jaw guard. When he was finished with it there it laid on the table ready to be used, the two of them stare at it.

"Aren't you going to try it on?" Sephiroth asked.

"Oh yeah sure!" Rike said picking up the visor turning it around and sliding his jaw within the jaw guard fitting perfectly with his and pushed both sides of the visor in closing the comfortable earmuffs onto his ears locking them in place. "Close!" Sephiroth didn't know why he just said that and looked at Rike raising his left eyebrow "Umm on?" Rike said and Sephiroth didn't see anything happen so he finally asked…

"What are you doing?"

"I assumed this thing was voice command, surely this visor doesn't have to be closed shut manually right?"

"Maybe it does?"

"That's just lame! I wish I could just mentally think it," Rike said crossing his arms over his chest actually pouting and then to his surprise the visor closed in front of his face, his bangs not getting caught in it! "Well that worked."

"Seems like it closes when you mentally think it, a sort of mind command, tech like that is very rare today? This piece must still have some working parts of it inside?" Sephiroth said.

"Well that is just awesome!" Rike said and noticed that his voice sounded hollow.

"Can you even see anything behind that Visor?"

"Yeah I can see you clear as day, the screen automatically popped up when it closed…" Rike said and watched through the HUD seeing a target reticle of a circle lock on Sephiroth's face and then scanned him bringing up information on Sephiroth to the side. While he also made modifications to allow himself to be attached to the Shin-Ra Network and thus would receive his mail or messaging as well as calls but through radio frequency and talk through codec, of course he would keep his phone with his just in case or whenever he wasn't using this thing "This is awesome!"

"Your ingenuity never ceases to amaze me," Sephiroth said.

That's when Genesis walks in and Rike was able to mentally command his vision through the Visor to zoom in on Genesis's face, Genesis giving him odd looks as all of Genesis's SOLDIER information was displaying to the side now. "Halloween is not until another 6 months Rike, what are you supposed to be a robot now?"

"So says the annoying poet," Rike said and made his visor open back up revealing his face. "Well since I have nothing to do I'm going out," Rike said as he went into his closet pulling out his dark crimson cloak swinging it and letting it hang over her shoulder heading for the door.

"Rike…?" Sephiroth addressed. The young SOLDIER looking over his shoulder to see Sephiroth point to the tools he left all over the table not put away "Put your tools away," Sephiroth said. Rike grumbled as he went over to put them away. It was strange to Genesis seeing this…it as if Sephiroth were the father and Rike were the son, even though Sephiroth wasn't Rike's biological father and Rike not Sephiroth's biological son? Genesis and Angeal knew it even though Sephiroth would never come to admit it today but the SOLDIER Hero was becoming attached to Rike. Even though Rike would sometimes forget to put away these tools but not most of the time he did remember who got him these tools for his thirteenth birthday, it was Sephiroth having noticed Rike's ingenuity. "Now you may go," Sephiroth said seeing as Rike's tools were put away, Rike walking past the two out his door "And don't forget to take you medicine!" Sephiroth said aloud.

"Got it!" Rike said from within the hall.

Genesis chuckled grabbing Sephiroth's attention "Something you find amusing?" Sephiroth asked.

"It's nothing Sephiroth," Genesis said taking his leave with Sephiroth taking his leave shortly after.

Sector 7 was bustling with life today as the hooded Rike walked amongst the large crowds, having taken his medicine so that he wouldn't experience his phobia take effect on, and the reason why he wore the hood over his head was Genesis's warning of fan club lingered in his head. He imagined a chibi self of him in his head walking the streets of one of Midgar's sector plates and then ran away from a hoard of fan girl teenagers chasing after him. For some reason it brought shivers up his spine? That's when Dave, John, Kate, Jill and Alex came back in the picture as he saw them hanging sitting within a table that was outside of a restaurant, all of them eating a different kind of burger and conversing with one another. He didn't bother as he simply kept going on his path and sadly he didn't go unnoticed by them, perhaps but most likely they recognized the cloak he was wearing.

"Hey it's you!" Dave called out to.

"No its not," Rike said not even bothering to stop. The jogging footsteps didn't go unnoticed by him as he was forced to stop when Jill blocked his path, Rike giving her an annoyed.

"We would like to know if you would join us?" Jill asked kindly giving him a smile.

"Pass," Rike said without a second to waste.

"Why do you have somewhere you need to be?"

"I am only taking a walk," Rike said and continued on said walk going around her "goodbye."

So he continued to randomly walk here and there he decided to take a tour for the Slums, to be honest he has never been down there and was somewhat curious in how life was below the plates. When he arrived within the Market of the Slums he was surprised to see the people of the Slums managing going on with life like everyone else atop the plates, with complete honesty Rike was expecting seeing the people living in a poor way like sitting in alleys begging for money or scavenging for food but it wasn't like that. So he began exploring the Market of the Slums, he wasn't paying attention or perhaps the little boy that came running into him wasn't and as a result he fell over and into the dirt scrapping his knee, the little boy whining in pain.

"Hey what did you do?" A child of the slums younger than him, who Rike had to assume to be the fallen boys friend, accused pointing a finger at him with two others joining him and were already making a scene in the middle of the market.

"He ran into me kid," Rike said.

"No he didn't! We saw you push him!"

"Push him…? I didn't push him? You do know it is not nice to cry wolf right?"

"Don't try to make us the bad guys here!"

Rike looked at the boy that was "hurt" take a peek opening one of his eyes but when Rike's gaze settled upon the "injured" boy who was holding his knee the boy went back to his crying _"What are you up to?" _Rike wondered and then heard the approaching sound of footsteps that were running toward his direction. He then put two and two together as he saw how the other boy came running straight for him _"You honestly think that cheap trick is going to work on me?" _Rike thought as the boy attempted to bump into him but Rike stops him by catching and grabbing the boys arm making the said boys eyes widen, the same look was in the other young actors. Rike with his superior strength forcefully brings the boys hand in front of his face seeing Rike's wallet, the kids were busted! Rike slowly turned his gaze upon the frightened young boy that attempted to steal his money giving the child a glare "I believe this is mine," He said taking his wallet back and letting the thief go, him turning his gaze upon the boy on the ground "Get up you little faker,"

"Run for it!" One of the boys said running away, Rike letting them go.

"_So those are the thieves of the Slums, kids? I expected adults or teenagers," _Rike thought as he put his wallet away, good thing Sephiroth's training always taught him to be aware.

Within the labs of the science department Hojo chuckled to himself as he was looking upon it, his Prototype Sharingan SOLDIER! The Sharingan SOLDIER lying atop a table, his new SOLDIER seems to be a success! The Sharingan SOLDIER had a helmet covering his face, in fact it seemed like a metal mask that closed around his entire face and the rectangular eye holes were the only thing on it that showed his closed eyes. The rest of his body he wore a green military vest over a black long-sleeved shirt wearing black gloves, pants, combat boots, silver shoulder armor atop its shoulder, silver greaves atop its legs and a SOLDIER Belt having what looked to be the clips of magazines for his pistol that was within the holster strapped around its right leg. It had what looked to be metal bracelets around its wrists with having three pieces of Materia within each of them, the Materia being that allowing it to cast fire, thunder, ice, wind, having an Attack + Materia and Magic + one as well. Hojo looked to a screen up to his left seeing it display Rike who was walking within the Slums under the plates; it seems Rike was being followed by one of the companies' drones.

"Like I said Rike," Hojo said as he began typing on a keyboard, the screen displaying the body of his first Sharingan SOLDIER booting it up to awaken "you will be obsolete!" He began to laugh mad as he watched his Sharingan SOLDIER rise sitting itself up upon the table, its eyes opening revealing Sharingan eyes and reached for its provided blade that was the length of a SOLDIER Sword that 3rd's and 2nd's of SOLDIER carried but this one had the sharpen side of that of a samurai blade with the top being slightly curved. "Your mission is to eliminate SOLDIER 1st Class Rike, prove that you are the next generation of SOLDIER!"

Back with Rike down in the Slums now was walking below and under the Sector 5 plate and took notice of a church that still stood. He began making his way toward the church going up the steps and to the double doors, he turned one of the door knobs seeing it was unlocked and entered pushing the door open to closing it right behind him. He took notice of the young 15 year old girl that was up ahead attending to flowers who didn't take notice of his presence yet, he took steps forward and about ten more steps later his presence was noticed as she stood up turning his direction.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"I was just looking around," Rike said as he took notice that the flowers she was attending to were in the church growing out from planks that were removed. "Why are you here all alone…?"

"That's a silly question," She said "I like it here."

"Right, sorry about that." He said and took a step forward until…

"Stop!" He did stopping his foot from even touching the floor "You'll step on the flowers!"

"Huh?" He looked down to his foot seeing that he indeed was about to step on the flowers she had grown and steps backing away from the flowerbed "My apologies,"

"It's ok. My name is Aireth by the way, yours?" Aireth asked.

"…..It's Rike," He finally answered.

She held her hand out to him "Nice to meet you Rike," She said.

Rike reached out to hers grabbing it but then something strange happens between the two as when the grab one another's hands their hands glow a faint green color hue, Aireth only gasps seeing this and Rike pulls away quickly saying "What the hell?" looking at his own hand _"What was up with that? Why did I feel…connected?" _

Aireth was looking at Rike with shocked eyes _"Could he be one too…?" _

However both of their attentions is brought to the doors of the church that are forcefully pushed open making Aireth gasp again and Rike turning to the source with a serious look on his face. The two saw the man wearing a metal mask covering his whole head walking in armed with Materia, gun, and sword held in his left hand. Rike even took notice of the SOLDIER Belt he was wearing…strange he never seen someone like this around Shin-Ra? The unknown SOLDIER stops in its tracks looking upon the two teenagers but mostly focuses its attention on Rike, narrowing its eyes. Rike removes the hood from the top of his head revealing his face…

"Who are you? Identify yourself!" Rike demanded but the unknown SOLDIER didn't seem to listen to his commands, only tightening his grip around its SOLDIER Blade "Are you from SOLDIER?" The man didn't reply as he kept looking at Rike and to the young SOLDIER's surprise he saw the Sharingan appear in the unknown SOLDIER's eyes! "You got to be kidding me," Rike said as he began to unbuckle his cloak at his neck.

"Who is he?" Aireth asked.

"Trouble," Rike said as he removes the cloak throwing it aside to the floor revealing to Aireth his real attire and his sheathed blade "You need to get to safety until I can sort this out, do you have any place to go?"

"My mothers," She whispered.

"Good go there and stay," Rike said.

"Be careful," She said before she runs off to the side exit door of the church but before she went out the door she says "Don't let any harm come to the flowers!"

"What?"

"Promise me!"

"I promise I won't let your flowers come to any harm now GO!" He said pulling out his HF Sword at the same time and she finally left leaving only Rike and the Sharingan SOLDIER before him that continued its walk toward him "Hold on a second maybe we can talk this out?" Rike reasoned and Sharingan SOLDIER jogged toward him spinning his blade "I guess not." Rike ducked from a swing the S SOLDIER (Sharingan SOLDIER) to rolling aside to his left as Rike's opponent swung the blade down, his opponent's blade breaking through the floor boards! The young SOLDIER 1st quickly got back up to his feet and performed a drop kick only for the S SOLDIER to flex his chest forward taking Rike's attack making the young SOLDIER fall back down on his back to the floor, Rike repelling away the S SOLDIER's blade only to have to roll away again avoiding S SOLDIER's fist that swung down that also broke through the floor boarding!

"Damn he's strong!" Rike said as rolled back up to his feet as the S SOLDIER looked his direction pulling his fist out of the floor as well _"Well I got something he doesn't besides Sharingan, SOLDIER attributes and Magic…jutsu!" _Rike thought as he put his hands together making a hand seal to use a fire jutsu but then he just remembered he was in a church _"Damn it I can't do that! I might burn down the church as well as those flowers! Damn the promises I make!" _The S SOLDIER casted a Firaga spell upon him shooting three separate balls of fire at him, he dodged the first one by jumping to his right landing atop one of the benches and then flipping up and over the second landing back atop the same bench, the final and last came at him and channeling chakra around his blade he batted it away to his right into the wall! "Hey watch it idiot we are in a church!" The S SOLDIER of course didn't listen as it jumped toward him with his blade over his head and Rike back flipping away in the air avoiding the S SOLDIER's downward slash that cut through the bench Rike was on! Rike landed on the floor on his feet and quickly charged and upon reaching the S SOLDIER he threw a left punch first only for the S SOLDIER to duck avoiding his punch, he then slashed his blade at the S SOLDIER but once again it dodged by flipping itself up and over Rike's blade! _"He's using the Sharingan to predict my next attack!" _The S SOLDIER was able to counter Rike as its right fist into Rike's face sending him across the room toward the wall! But Rike went into smoke when he collided with it revealing it to be a Shadow Clone!

"Here I am!" Rike yelled aloud as he appeared in midair behind the performing a spinning right kick to the side of the S SOLDIER's head sending him flying to one of the support pillars of the church head first breaking part of it off! Too bad this S SOLDIER didn't know jutsu like him. Rike landing on his feet summoned his Demon Wind Shuriken spinning it and himself in a 306 and threw it at the downed S SOLDIER! However the S SOLDIER was not down for the count as it got back up flipping itself back in the air just as the Demon Wind Shuriken was right under him he grabs its center stopping its spinning, landing back on the floor and threw it back with just as much ferocity back at Rike! "Not bad!" Rike said as he batted his own weapon away, it spinning through the air and stabbing into the wall of the church. The young SOLDIER tosses his HF Sword into the air and makes a cross hand seal for the Shadow Clone Jutsu and out of thin air appeared two more ready to fight by his side, both bearing the same look as Rike and having the same weapon in hand while the real Rike held his right hand up catching his blade within his grasp. _"It's been a long time since I used this technique, not since Hydra." _Rike said within his thoughts.

Meanwhile in his laboratory Hojo watched the screen seeing through the vision of his Prototype Sharingan SOLDIER, the results were satisfying! The Prototype Sharingan SOLDIER was using the Sharingan predicting Rike's next attack, the Gene Therapy seemed to work! Now to see his creation copy Rike's Shadow Clone Jutsu which Hojo was amazed seeing someone able to create copies of himself, was it probably one of Rike's illusions?

Rike watched as the S SOLDIER made the same hand seals as he did creating his Shadow Clones but he wasn't worried "Good luck with that," Rike said and as he expected nothing happened. No solid clones appeared beside the S SOLDIER who was now just making himself look dumb standing like that. Hojo in his labs most likely cursed seeing as how his Proto S SOLDIER couldn't copy Rike's "jutsu". Rike aimed his blade at the S SOLDIER "Sorry buddy but right now those moves are only exclusive to me…" Rike said with a smile _"And one other most likely," _Rike thought as his thoughts went to Dakuso remembering the man's Sharingan. Putting those thoughts aside Rike and his clones dashed toward the S SOLDIER and attacked as one but not to Rike's surprise and expected the S SOLDIER was predicting their attacks showing effective use of the Sharingan, why Rike himself hasn't used his Sharingan yet was because he was testing his opponent. They kept up their attacks as they moved around the room with the S SOLDIER blocking and repelling away their attacks. One of Rike's shadow clones decided to attack from behind and the other from the front but the S SOLDIER ducked under the front's blade to turning himself to the clone behind him and delivering a powerful knee into the clone's gut, the clone poofs away defeated! To quickly turning back to other clone and stabbing his blade through its chest, the clone bursting into smoke defeated. The real Rike engages the S SOLDIER in sword combat as the two clang blades and exchange blows and the two lock blades sliding both their blades to the guards of the other and glare one another but this time Rike had his Sharingan active!

"_At last I get to see his Sharingan in action!" _Hojo said in his thoughts with glee as he adjusted his glasses and continued to watch the fight within his lab at Shin-Ra.

The S SOLDIER pushed Rike off and away so hard that the young SOLDIER 1st went through the air and sliding across the floor and barely stops in front of Aireth's flowers that he promised to keep safe "That was close," Rike said and then looked back to the S SOLDIER that was running toward him and swung down his blade to finish him "Oh Gaia…" Rike said and used the Space-Time Materia slowing down the fabric of time as the blade of his opponent came down slowly, he kicked both his feet up into the S SOLDIER's chest and pushed him up with his feet, the Space-Time Materia he brought down, and watched as the S SOLDIER crashed up and through the roof above! The opening the S SOLDIER made casting sunlight down inside the church and onto the flowers. Rike only smirked as he was looking up while in a handstand on his hands preventing himself from falling into the flowers to flipping himself forward back on his feet. Rike jumping up and through the opening above landing atop the roof looking for his opponent and found him on the streets below and jumps too and landing 10 feet away from the S SOLDIER that picked himself up.

"Do you know the difference between you and my Sharingan is?" Rike asked the none speaking S SOLDIER with Hojo who was watching giving a raised eyebrow in question along with wondering what Rike meant by difference? "I'll tell, as we locked blades and gazed into one another's eyes I looked inside your Sharingan so to say and you know what I discovered? That it is nothing but a failure of an imitation!" Rike said with a smirk.

"_Failure of an imitation?" _Hojo wondered.

"You see your so called Sharingan lacks a lot of things…one being that you can't cast any form of genjutsu on me or in other words illusions…two being that it should have been able to resist my Sharingan from digging into your mind which is for some odd reason hollow as a shell? Sure you may be able to predict my next attack and maybe copy my movements as well as my jutsu's hand seals but you can't use them because you clearly lack the simplest thing, a special type of energy I am not going to tell you about."

"_Special type of energy? What is he talking about?" _Hojo wondered.

"Up until this point I was only testing your ability with the Sharingan having some sort of hope that perhaps you are a relative of mine just because you possess the same eyes, but seeing as it is a shame I was wrong as your seems implanted in some way? If you do not surrender right now and come in for questioning then I can guarantee you this…"

"Oh and what would that be?" Hojo said from within his lab.

"You are going to die." Rike said in a tone that would make Sephiroth proud. "Now what is your answer? Will you give up and come quietly or will this have to go down with your corpse on the ground?" The S SOLDIER never responded as it charged Rike "Fool!" Rike whispered bringing up his blade before him but then the S SOLDIER suddenly stopped in his tracks confusing Rike, it became even more confusing when the S SOLDIER dropped its blade and grabbed at its head falling to its knees and began yelling out in pain? "What the hell?"

"What's happening?" Hojo asked himself as he walked back to his computer looking at the Proto Sharingan SOLDIER's status seeing its heartbeat pick up and then looking at the body of his latest experiment on the screen he saw that it was starting to slowly turn from blue to red! "What's going on…?" He typed in a few keys to figure out the problem and then the computer started detecting what was happening to his experiment like his test subjects "Don't tell me!" The words SHARINGAN VIRUS DETECTED displayed showing the cells inside his Proto SOLDIER's body being killed by the Sharingan Virus! "This can't be! Even through Gene Therapy? It hasn't even been more than 15 minutes and the virus attacks?"

Rike was looking at the S SOLDIER freaked out as he watched him grab around his own neck…

"What's wrong with him?" A familiar voice asked and Rike turned to see Aireth slowly approaching from behind him and Rike held a hand in front of her blocking further advancement, this was all even attracting people as they were watching, the S SOLDIER suddenly stands yelling louder if possible making Aireth jump to behind Rike's back grabbing his shoulders and looking over his shoulder "Stay back!" Rike warned as he pointed his weapon at the S SOLDIER and then Rike saw blood spurt out of the S SOLDIER's eyeholes…and then he fell back on the ground.

Hojo was looking at the monitor hearing the prolonged beep meaning his Proto Sharingan SOLDIER was dead and still watching on the small window screen the Sharingan Virus to continue to flow even through the dead body of his experiment. Hojo slammed his fist down on his desk and cursed aloud "Damn you!" Not to Rike but to the Sharingan Virus. The S-Virus (Sharingan Virus) was getting on his nerves but he calmed himself "No matter just a minor setback," He said and adjusted his glasses again "I'll just have to find a way to prevent this Sharingan Virus's attack somehow?"

Back with Rike and Aireth as well as people, Rike slowly approached with Aireth behind him. Rike kicks the blade that the S SOLDIER used away and slowly reaching down for the gun in the dead man's holster.

"Carful." Aireth said as Rike grabs hold of the gun and pulls it out "Is he…?"

"He's dead," Rike said.

"Are you sure?" Aireth asked and watched as Rike stabbed his blade into the dead man's leg not getting a reaction.

"Pretty sure," Rike said as he pulled his blade out spinning it and sheathing it back in its scabbard to taking a knee next to the dead man and reached for his mask, he wanted to see who was under it.

"Freeze!" A Shin-Ra Trooper said arriving with others in the area aiming their automatics at Rike, about ten of them.

"He's got a gun!" One of them warned referring to the gun that was in Rike's very hand this instant.

"Stop!" The familiar voice recognized all too well commanded and it was Sephiroth that walked into the area with Genesis and Angeal with him. "You are aiming your weapons at a SOLDIER 1st of the company and my apprentice!" Sephiroth said. Some of the people that were around watching were murmuring seeing the apprentice of Sephiroth, Aireth looked at Rike with surprised eyes not expecting to hear that. Not as the apprentice of Sephiroth but that Rike was SOLDIER…

"You're SOLDIER?" Aireth asked.

"Yeah…?" Rike said as he continued to look at the masked man.

"Sorry General Sephiroth, we didn't think he was SOLDIER and your apprentice for that fact," One of the Shin-Ra Troopers said apologizing.

"Apology accepted, you ten should form a perimeter and keep the people here back." Sephiroth said.

"Sir!" They all said and got to setting up a perimeter getting the people back away from the scene.

"You should go," Rike said looking at Aireth who nodded even though she had questions for him and went to get out of the perimeter.

"What happened?" Sephiroth asked taking a knee next to him to Rike right, Genesis and Angeal across from him on the other side of the body.

"I was minding my own business and decided to explore the Slums seeing as I never been down here before, came to this church meeting this girl…"

"Already he had a girlfriend," Genesis teased.

"Shut up you annoying poet," Rike retorted, Angeal shaking his head left and right at Rike and Genesis's behavior, and Rike continued his story "Next thing I know this guy walks in the place having Sharingan and tried to kill me, but as you can see he died in a strange way?"

"He had Sharingan?" Angeal asked knowing that Rike only had it and Dakuso.

"Yes but it was a failure of a recreation of one, it had many flaws though, but it is clear it was manufactured." Rike said.

"This however," Genesis said tapping the dead man's SOLDIER Belt with his knuckles "grabs my attention."

"Why would anyone from SOLDIER attack one of their own?" Angeal asked "Rike do you have any enemies in SOLDIER?"

"No," Rike didn't have any enemies, what reason would anyone have to hate him?

"There is only one way to find out," Sephiroth said pointing to the mask of the dead man and Rike brought his hands to the sides of the dead man's face where his ears would be and pushed in, the front of the mask opening up to reveal the man's face and…

"A gruesome sight," Angeal said as he covered his nose, the smell already getting to them.

"His eyes are rotted?" Genesis said as well as taking notice of the dried tears of blood "And his skin is as white as sour cream," He added.

"I don't recognize him?" Rike said.

"Me neither," Angeal said.

"How did this man, whoever he is, even manage to manufacture himself a flawed Sharingan? Unless he had someone else do this for him?" Genesis said curious.

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes as one man came to mind, one man he knew was curious of Rike's Sharingan.

"We should take a picture and find out who this guy is," Rike said, Genesis pulling out his phone.

"That won't be necessary, we will take it from here," Another familiar voice said and Rike and his fellow 1st rate SOLDIER's looked to Aura who was with four other Turks.

"Turks?" Genesis questioned as he put his phone away in his pocket without anyone noticing.

"Aura what are you doing here?" Rike asked standing up along with the others following.

"We are here for the body,"

"What? We were…?"

"We have orders from President Shinra himself," Aura said holding out a slip with Sephiroth taking it looking it over.

"Seph?" Rike asked.

"It's valid; the president has tasked them with retrieving the body."

"But what about..?"

"The president overrides me and everyone else Rike," Sephiroth said.

Rike didn't want them to take the body because he wanted to get to the bottom of why this man wanted to kill him so bad or maybe was sent after him? But Sephiroth was right, order from the top meaning he couldn't do a damn thing. He watched as they loaded the dead man into a body bag zipping him up and taking him away, Aura looks back at Rike and gives him a wave even though he was pissed off right now. He waited until the Turks were out of earshot before speaking to his fellow SOLDIER's.

"From what I understand Turks be sure to erase anything that has to do with the company," Rike said.

"What are you trying to say Rike?" Angeal asked.

"That man was sent after me, he was trying to kill me and after he dies the Turks suddenly show up with papers under orders from the president himself to take the body away? Someone in the company wanted me dead," Rike said.

"That's crazy Rike," Angeal said "You're a value member to the company why would anyone want you dead?"

"That I don't know…?" Rike said but Sephiroth had a good hunch as he had his hand in his pocket into a fist showing that he was upset.

"Well we can't do anything about it now," Genesis said as he flipped open his phone.

"We didn't even get the chance at getting a picture so we can at least identify the guy," Rike argued.

"Well I wouldn't say that Rike," Genesis said as he turned his phone showing that he got a mug shot of the dead man. "Do not bother yourself in finding out who the individual was, I'll do it…this interests me."

"_That's a shock, never thought you found anything interesting other than LOVELESS?" _

"I have something to attend to," Sephiroth said leaving no room for questions as he just walked away, Genesis walking away next but before he did he waved his phone at Rike telling him what he was leaving to attend to.

"Angeal…?" Rike asked.

"Got to find Zack," Angeal said.

"He's lost again?"

"Well down here this time," Angeal said looking around.

"_What was I thinking making him SOLDIER? He's like a Dumbapple!" _Rike asked in his thoughts.

"By the end of this year he will be a 2nd Class though," Angeal said.

"Are you sure about that…?" Rike asked.

"I'm confident,"

In the office of President Shinra, Hojo was giving his report on the Proto S SOLDIER's status…

"So it was a failure then," President Shinra said.

"A minor setback it all, the problem was the S-Virus that attacked unsuspectingly, the Prototype didn't last long and died the same way all the other test subjects did?" Hojo said. _"Not to mention what Rike called the Prototype's Sharingan a sham…" _ Hojo would have to find a way to deal with the S-Virus, perhaps neutralize it somehow?

Hojo later throughout the day was where he always was, within his labs doing nothing but his research keeping an eye on his Project S, looking over notes of Project RU and that of the Sharingan Virus that was sent to him from a certain dead individual. The doctor turned around almost jumping seeing Sephiroth in the lab standing five feet from him, and by the look on his face Sephiroth looked upset.

"Sephiroth, something I could help you with?" Hojo asked with that smile he always wore on his face.

"Don't play coy with me Hojo!"

"You sound upset? Why is that? Bad day?"

"It regards my apprentice," Sephiroth said taking two more steps forward.

"Ah yes Rike, the one you assigned to me as a patient. Have I ever told you how much of an interesting specimen he was?"

"Far too many times Hojo. Rike was attacked today…"

"Oh I do hope he is alright," Hojo said adjusting his glasses.

"The man that attacked him had Sharingan like him but according to Rike was worthless. Who would go so far to just have Sharingan, who would go to such lengths?" Sephiroth asked stepping closer.

"Hmmm? Perhaps AVALANCHE had something to do behind this? After all Rike did say that Dakuso had one too? Perhaps he somehow created a SOLDIER of his own giving it Sharingan somehow?" Hojo said intending to shift suspicion to the Western AVALANCHE Leader and pin the blame.

"Let's get something straight Hojo…I don't care if you are a valued member of the company. If I find out that you had something to do behind all of this, if find out that you intend to bring harm upon my apprentice…you will not live to see the light day." Sephiroth threatened and simply turned walking away, leaving.

"_The Nightmare Sephiroth, the SOLDIER Hero…has grown attached to that boy." _Hojo thought which to him something he did not approve of as he watched Sephiroth leave his lab.

Rike was back inside the church in the Slums just picking up his cloak when that girl Aireth entered through the side exit door of the church.

"Hey!" Aireth called only to get no response from Rike and then took notice of the opening in the roof "Well now the flowers could get some light, that good!" She said with a smile.

"Sorry about the mess," Rike said referring to the damage that he and the S SOLDIER caused.

"That's ok," She said "I have something to ask you…"

"What is it?"

"Can you use Magic like me?" She asked approaching him.

"Sorry Aireth but I don't use Materia like you do," Rike said.

"Me neither!" She said with the same smile on her face.

"What?" Rike asked looking at her.

"I don't use Materia either. Hooray we're the same!" She said jumping up.

"What are you talking about?"

She grabbed his hand and Rike watched as the same odd experience happened when they both shake hands the first time as their hands glow a faint green on their own "You're like me!" Aireth said only to get a confused look from Rike wondering what she was getting at?

"Like you…?"

"An Ancient!"

* * *

**What a twist right? Rike is an Ancient (Cetra)! Hope you liked it!**


	8. Chapter 7 The Twin Terrors

"Ancient…?" Rike said confused as he took his hand away from Aerith, the faint green that engulfed both of their hands when grasped fading away "What are you talking about?" The young SOLDIER 1st asked confused at what Aireth was calling him that she revealed herself to be which Rike had no knowledge of.

"You're an Ancient like me; you can use Magic too right? Magic without the use of Materia?"

"_As well as without the need to use Mako," _Rike thought "Yes…"

"That means you're an Ancient like me!" She said in a cherry voice. "And you know what that also means?"

"What…?" Rike asked with now narrowed eyes.

"We are family!" She revealed and you can imagine the surprise and shock on Rike's face, he was speechless as he was looking at Aerith with wide open eyes.

"Family? As in a sister?"

"No, never had a brother. I was an only child but you must be my cousin! I didn't think there would be another like me out there!"

Rike didn't know what to say "I…" He was suddenly embraced by Aerith in a hug surprising him as he held his arms apart. He NEVER had this sort of contact before; it was completely new to him. She releases him taking some steps back with a smile on her face.

"I'm so happy right now," She said.

"Yeah," Rike said in a low tone, if one were to look at him you can obviously tell that he was confused.

"What's wrong?" She asked and suddenly Rike started making his way for the front double doors of the church "Rike?"

"I need to be alone," He said and didn't leave any more room for conversation as he made his way to and out the doors of the church leaving Aerith.

"Bye…?" She said as she crouched down and picked up Rike's cloak, he must have forgotten all about it.

He was now on the surface of the plates and was now walking through and within Sector 7 once again where the crowds walked amok, he didn't even notice that he forgot his cloak leaving it behind and was not wearing it to hide himself. He didn't know it but right now he was exposed and was attracting attention as he walked past people eyeing him, taking notice of his outfit and weapons on his person indicating that he was SOLDIER. He was asking himself within his thoughts what an Ancient was. He could have asked Aireth yes but he wanted to be alone, find the information on this Ancient and learn of it himself. Or perhaps his mentor Sephiroth may know what an Ancient is; perhaps he will ask him when he reunites with him? As he was walking he suddenly stops in his trail as he hears the screams of citizens and appeared to be running away from the direction of Sector 8, all the citizens running past him as Rike was wondering what the hell was going on. He slightly ducked when he heard what sounded like gun fire, the gun fire making the crowd duck as they kept on moving running away. Rike ran toward where the gunfire was coming from and when finally reaching his destination as well as the source of gunfire what he saw being the source was a Sweeper, or rather three Sweepers all armed with their machine guns on their arms. As SOLDIER it was his duty to keep the innocent and weak safe, he didn't know why weapons of Shin-Ra were attacking the people but he had to put a stop to it! The three Sweepers caught sight of him as their targeting reticles locked on to him and information popped up of who he was and what his occupation was.

The young SOLDIER was dead silent as he drew his High Frequency Sword ever so slowly, within an alley watching were small children hiding out behind a dumpster, four of them having not been spotted by the raging machines. They were witnessing what was about to unfold as the watch Rike hold his blade up in front of him in Sephiroth's sword stance, they thought it was some crazy teenager trying to be a hero but they were in for a surprise. The Sweepers open fire upon him but Rike was quick enough to jump high in the air evading the bullets, thank goodness the civilians got out of the area in time. The SOLDIER came down upon the center Sweeper diving down through the air and stabs his blade through the Sweepers head in the area where its core would be, he must have made a direct hit as the Sweeper began to wobble and sparks of electricity firing out so taking advantage Rike motions his body to the left making the machine turn as well as it was firing off its guns shooting the other. It was a good one because now he only had one more Sweeper to take care of, the young SOLDIER first quickly removes his blade and leaps off just in time before both machines give off a small explosion from within their structures and Rike landing back on the ground now before the last Sweeper. The final Sweeper had Rike within his sights and was locked on and immediately unloads on the SOLDIER who spins his blade before him deflecting bullets and ran toward the machine, when he got close enough he reflects bullets back at the Sweeper hitting it in its eye making it stop firing giving Rike his opening and so he slashes his blade through the machine. It seemed to happen so quick because Rike was now opposite of the still Sweeper on one knee holding his blade out to his right, his Sharingan eyes active and a glowing red and then the Sweepers top half falls off hitting the ground, sparks flying and then blows up.

Witnesses who saw this from either the cover from within a building or in an alley were at somewhat awe, this boy has to be SOLDIER if he could do all of that right? Rain then starts to fall from above through the dark sky and the sound of lightning booming, that's when Rike took notice of more Sweepers that appear now walking toward him and they numbered in a dozen. Seriously where were they coming from? It was as if they appeared out of nowhere like he was in some fantasy video game? Regardless, Rike rose slowly to going back into his stance but this time he had his blade pointing at them from his left hands grasp in a reverse grip with his right palm resting on the butt of his blade and his form began to glow a faint green signaling the oncoming attack of a signature move taught to him by Sephiroth, an Octaslash. His Octaslash was not as powerful as Sephiroth's was, basically it wasn't fully perfected and he was not as crazy fast as Sephiroth was either. Leaping toward the first Sweeper he delivered a single slash cutting through the its center cutting it in half, he quickly then slashed through another diagonally and went for the next but for this one he delivered two slashes making it split apart in fours as he went through leaping for the next Sweeper slashing down its center. One Sweeper seeing Rike taking down the other Sweepers, four so far fired its guns, Rike seeing this quickly activated his Space-Time Materia slowing the world around him and his form giving off electrical currents on him. He had to move fast as he only had a limited time of ten seconds with this Materia so he ran toward the Sweeper that opened fired on him as quickly as he could go around the slow moving barrage of bullets and slashed through it taking down the fifth Sweeper of the group. Even after he slashed through it he remained on the run going for the sixth Sweeper slashing up diagonally through it and leaps atop it quickly as he can even as the Sweeper that he was now atop of was splitting apart ever so slowly and jumped high in the air to dropping down from above upon another Sweeper. He slashed through it from above and managed to maneuver himself as he went through to managing to slide away from underneath it on one knee using his right hand to slow himself down as he had his left hand held out to his left, at the same time is when his Materia ran out of time making the arching lightning around his form subside and his Octaslash over the faint green as well. When time resumed itself all of the seven Sweepers he cut up in total fell apart into pieces at the same time leaving only five left, he looked upon the remaining five as well as noting to self that Space-Time Materia and Octaslash combed together are affective.

"_Five left, huh? That shouldn't be any problem at all," _Rike thought and then that's when MORE Sweepers appeared coming into the area, FIFTEEN MORE SWEEPERS now totaling with the remaining five making TWENTY. Now Rike was annoyed and honestly angry even though he didn't show _"You got to be kidding me? Where the hell did they come from? This is ridiculous…" _When it came to using Space-Time Materia and Octaslash that he still didn't have perfected because needing the assistance of Materia, it took some breath out of him. He wasn't going to use jutsu because he was in a public area, fire jutsu was out of the question right now, and he was going to charge at them thinking of using his Space-Time Octaslash combo again until he heard a familiar voice…

"Looks like you can use some help," Rike had a smile brought to his face as he looked over his shoulder to see the Legendary SOLDIER himself walk up with his seven foot long sword Masamune to stopping next to him joining him by his side, it was SOLDIER 1st Class Sephiroth of course! "Rike…"

"Sephiroth…"

"Intelligence believes that AVALANCHE is behind this,"

"AVALANCHE, huh? You are all they sent?"

"We are more than enough; Shin-Ra Troopers are working on evacuating anyone from this general area."

"So then I guess it's just good old us alone on this then, good, I prefer it that way."

The two went to work as they both charged the Sweepers together side by side, they were living up to their feared name that was The Twin Terrors, both of them made a great team that was synchronized with one another as they seemed to flawlessly cut down the Sweepers as one would appear replacing the other. Sector 8 was starting to look like a junkyard as the two SOLDIER 1sts continue cutting down their opponents, Sephiroth slashing three before him in half ho him turning around quickly and blasting a thunder Materia type attack into another Sweeper making it overload. Rike finishing off three more moving from one to the other being quick on his feet and the two go back to back with one another as more Sweepers arrive, then a bigger opponent arrives and it was big scorpion like red robot or one would call it the Scarlet Pick. Rike and Sephiroth who was looking over his shoulder at the giant robot saw as the Scarlet Pick was moving its red eye looking upon the other Sweepers that ready their guns…

"The Scarlet Pick is controlling the Sweepers acting as a signal?" Sephiroth said "AVALANCHE must have hacked the Scarlet Pick and Sweepers under the Scarlet's command and giving them new orders, the Sweepers and Scarlet Pick are here for you Rike."

"So we are sure to guess that it wants me dead right?"

"Yes,"

"Revenge for Hydra?"

"Perhaps…"

"Looks like you're for me!" Rike said aloud to the Scarlet Pick.

"I will deal with the Sweepers," Sephiroth said and went to work as he moved lightning fast going from one Sweeper to the other cutting them down so quickly that Rike wished he could move like that at normal speed.

Rike's metal visor closed before his face "Let's go!"

The Scarlet Pick fires it guns as bullets followed Rike as he ran away from the gunfire toward a building and manipulating his chakra to the bottom of his feet ran up it to flipping himself back and into the air to above the Scarlet Pick to descending down upon it and when close enough he slashes his blade. The Scarlet Pick had strong armor as Rike did make a gash but not enough to expose an opening of its inside machinery, the young SOLDIER lands on the street away from the Scarlet Pick and then saw the tip of its tail charge up a red…

"Something tells me that is not good?" Rike said and indeed he was right as a red beam fired into the street to his right and was coming toward him "Not good at all!" He then proceeded to go in a series of backward cartwheels evading away from the red beam as it seemed to be chasing him, the young SOLDIER then maneuvers himself away barely missing the red laser beam as it went over him and up a building slanted cutting through and the beam stops. Even though Sephiroth said that Shin-Ra Troopers were evacuating people away from the area Rike hoped that there was no one in there "Watch it you fucking idiot!" Rike yelled at the Scarlet Pick but who was he kidding it was a machine and everyone knows that machines don't have feelings as they are nothing but clockwork, it just had an objective and it was the termination of SOLDIER 1st Class Rike. Having to have dealt with the unknown SOLDIER that attacked him in the church in the slums and now this for him he was beginning to wonder if the two were connected? Like was whoever in the company that wanted him dead, did that person or perhaps they sent the Sweepers and the Scarlet Pick after him? But Sephiroth already told him that it was believed to have been AVALANCHE behind this, key word BELIEVED which states that they were not sure so really it sounds like as if Shin-Ra was just pointing the finger and blaming it on AVALANCHE. Rike charged the Scarlet Pick which in response shoots its guns, the SOLDIER seeing the trail of bullets coming his way as they hit the street getting closer and closer but rolls out of the way with them going past him. He jumps high in the air once again bringing his blade above his head intending to deliver another slash but the Scarlet Pick already have suspected this brought up some shield of some kind and stops Rike's blade and ultimately reflecting Rike away through the air, the young SOLDIER taking a tumble upon the streets as well as hitting left over junk from destroyed Sweepers. When he finally stops he picks himself back up "Didn't see that coming," He said. Rike wasn't going to use Susano'o because of the size of it and in this area he would do more harm than good and the same could be said with the use of genjutsu, Amaterasu was out of the question, Tsukuyomi will never work seeing as he is fighting a robot and not a human being, so basically Mangekyo Sharingan abilities were out of the question. All of his jutsu were out of the question not wanting to destroy anything not wanting to risk of anyone being inside one of them. He would have to rely on Magic and the use of his sword like a normal SOLDIER…

Sephiroth meanwhile was decimating the oncoming Sweepers eliminating them with a single attack demonstrating why he WAS the ultimate SOLDIER! All around him were more pieces of machinery from the destroyed Sweepers and before him came five more, he did notice from the corner of his eye how Rike was doing seeing him avoid a red laser and was repelled away by a force field created by the Scarlet Pick, Sephiroth had not went up against a model like that one and he would interfere but he was confident and believed his apprentice can win so he kept his focus on the continuous oncoming Sweepers. As the rain above continued to fall a flash of lighting going off he then had a thought, an idea with what he could do with the lighting to help his apprentice. Sephiroth delivered a single horizontal slash cutting all the Sweepers before him in half and then jumped high into the air landing atop one of the buildings of Sector 8, he looked down to the street seeing Rike avoid bullets running away from the oncoming trail that was behind him to changing direction charging the Scarlet Pick and slashed through two of its legs making its right side fall to the ground, however the Scarlet Pick with its remaining legs picked itself up. Sephiroth looked up to the dark raining sky and saw the lightning strike once again and so he aimed his blade to the sky…

Rike avoids the Scarlet Pick as it attacks with its leg by back flipping in the air to landing on the street twenty feet away from his mechanical opponent, he held his blade before him in his adopted Sephiroth stance and noticed within the reflection of his High Frequency sword what looked to be Sephiroth standing atop a building aiming his blade to the sky? He looked over his shoulder and there his mentor was as the legendary man looked down at him and gave him a nod, Rike understood what Sephiroth was going to do and what he had in mind so Rike gave him a nod back. Lightning flashed and shot down toward and into Sephiroth's blade as if it were a lightning rod with Rike aiming his blade toward Sephiroth who threw the lightning down toward Rike who "caught" it within his blade and bats his "lightning blade" toward the Scarlet Pick throwing the lightning! The lightning strikes the Scarlet Pick lightning it up, Rike quickly runs for cover jumping over and behind a vehicle, and the Scarlet Pick overloading blows up scattering its mechanical pieces! Sephiroth looking down toward the streets saw the remaining Sweepers that came into the area suddenly freeze and then they turned around and started to leave? Sephiroth was right with the Sweepers under the Scarlet's command; now that the Scarlet Pick was destroyed the Sweepers were no longer under its control and were now heading back to where they belong.

Sephiroth jumps off the building landing on the street as the rain comes to a stop but the lightning was still present striking in the background, at the same time is when Shin-Ra Troopers arrived in the area and began securing looking for enemies being Sweepers that were still not under Shin-Ra command. Sephiroth meanwhile was looking for Rike and seeing a pile of parts that began to move he ran over just in time for Rike to emerge out of it having cuts and scrapes on his body with his blade in hand, the blade steaming.

"Are you ok?" Sephiroth asked.

"Fine," Rike said looking over his shoulder to his mentor "That was quite the combo."

"Yes, it was." Sephiroth said and placed a hand atop Rike's shoulder, Sephiroth's hand glows a green color and was healing Rike with Curaga.

"Someone is out to get me," Rike said.

"It had to be AVALANCHE," Sephiroth said "This isn't the first time this has happened, AVALANCHE hacked through our security commanding our machines a while back, I with Genesis and Angeal took care of it. This attack upon you is similar but not against the company,"

"Do we know exactly where AVALANCHE is? We must have been tracking some sort of signal right since they were hacking our machines?" Rike asked.

"I was," Sephiroth said as he pulled out his handset (phone) opening it.

"You were tracing it?"

"Damn…" Sephiroth cursed.

"What?"

On the screen of Sephiroth's handset said SIGNAL TRACE FAILED "They must have found me out," He said closing his phone, removing his hand from Rike's shoulder seeing as he was healed.

"So where do we go from here?"

"Nowhere,"

"Well that's just great," Rike said, his Sharingan reverting to his normal eyes "If I knew where AVALANCHE was I would gladly come to them, that way I could destroy them."

"It may have not been the AVALANCHE of this region, for all we know it could have been the AVALANCHE West and its leader, Dakuso?" Sephiroth said "If it was then he may have just orchestrated this whole thing to test you skills,"

"What makes you think that?"

"The Hydra did it to me," Sephiroth answered "He continued to observe and orchestrate attacks upon me…watching, learning every skill everything about me to the smallest detail to bring me down. He believed killing me would cripple Shin-Ra, seeing as I was the first SOLDIER…and then five years ago…" Rike closed his eyes knowing what Sephiroth was recalling, that tragic night "that night." The night the village Rike swore to protect was massacred by The Hydra, the same night that Rike had defeated the man, to this day Rike wished he could have killed the damn man.

Putting the bad memories of that horrible night aside he remembered his question of what an Ancient was and Sephiroth was here with him "Sephiroth?"

"Yes?"

"What's an Ancient?"

"Where…did you hear that word?"

"I read," Rike lied.

Sephiroth thought otherwise but no matter he was going to answer Rike's question "Ancient is also known as the Cetra,"

"Cetra?"

"An ancient race closely attuned with the planet,"

"Attuned? Attuned how? Through what?"

"I don't know," Sephiroth…lied. He did know he just didn't want to tell Rike the truth…

There was one person that Rike met and protected that could possibly know "Aerith…" Rike said in a low tone.

"Did you say something?" Sephiroth asked.

"No, nothing."

"Let's go, Director Lazard will want a debriefing." Sephiroth said and walked away heading in the direction of the Shin-Ra Building as Rike was still standing in the same position, he wanted to go to Aerith and get some answers "You coming?" Sephiroth asked who was looking over his shoulder at Rike wondering what was with his apprentice's odd behavior.

"Y-Yeah…I'm coming," Rike said as he followed after Sephiroth _"Another day," _Rike thought.

Time passed as Rike gave his story what happened of him stumbling upon the Sweepers and the battle ensuing between man and machine, he exited out of the elevator that arrived on the SOLDIER Floor from the Director's office and decided to go to his room. When he arrived at his door he saw Genesis leaned up against the wall next to his door waiting for him…

"Genesis?"

"While you were out having your fun slicing up robots…I found out who our Unknown SOLDIER is or was," Genesis said.

"Who?"

"He's a nobody, not an employee or fellow SOLDIER operative of the company, just a simple civilian from the Slums below the plates that went missing two weeks ago…"

"He was kidnapped," Rike said.

"He had to have been, I doubt he volunteered."

"Who could have kidnapped him?"

"Perhaps it was AVALANCHE?" Genesis said with Rike looking at him "I have heard rumors that AVALACNHE have been trying to develop their own kind of SOLDIER to fight against us,"

"Own unit of SOLDIER…?" Rike said but he couldn't help but remember the Turks coming in so suddenly taking the body of the Unknown SOLDIER away _"No…it's someone else, not AVALANCHE? I have a strong feeling of it…" _

Rike was now in his room pondering his thoughts, so much had happened in just a day. He met Aerith who just so happens to be like him revealing that he was a Cetra like her with the assistance of Sephiroth providing the information, attacked by some SOLDIER never seen before having a shame of a pair of Sharingan eyes to having himself attacked by robots supposedly hacked by AVALANCHE East to kill to finding out thanks to Genesis that the Unknown SOLDIER that attacked him was a simple civilian of no importance. Still the whole Cetra thing was in his head and he wanted answers! Cetra being able to commune with the planet but through what and how, Sephiroth was as quiet as to supposedly not knowing an answer to a question which he doubts because the man knows everything it seems? He needs answers and the only person that could give him accurate answers was Aerith, his cousin, within the Sector 5 Slums inside that church. Even though it was late at night he grabs his sword attaching it to the left side of his waist to grabbing his bow Hawkeye and black sack of arrows ringing them both over his left shoulder then was out the door, when it came to being a SOLDIER you lived within the building of Shin-Ra on the SOLDIER Floor and there was times when you can leave and cant. Yes they had their curfews and were not allowed to leave the building but with Rike it would be easy because he had a little thing called genjutsu or what others can refer to as illusions, so with putting a simple one over himself he was practically invisible to said cameras. All in all it was easy for him to leave the building that to his skill set as he traveled through Sector 0 avoiding detection. Avoid detection from whom? Well Sector 0 was like a military sector and one would see Shin-Ra Troopers on patrol and cameras attached to the side of buildings watching the streets, even employees of the Shin-Ra Company lived within this sector. But once again Rike had genjutsu on his side so it was easy for him to get out of Sector 0 and make his way toward the Sector 7 Train Station and from their go down into the Slums traveling through its market place and right now was within the Sector 5 Slums heading walking the dark quiet streets of said Slums heading in the direction of the Church where Aerith resided.


End file.
